Heidi Kriz comment-17714 2009-11-13T13:20:09Z 2009-11-13T13:20:09Z I'll keep your intelligent criticisms in mind in the future. And bravo for having the guts to identify yourself by name and face. Heidi Kriz 2009-11-13T13:20:09Z LARRY MEADE comment-17512 2009-11-09T17:05:17Z 2009-11-09T17:05:17Z I applaud that you took a chance and wrote an article. :) However, I have to agree with many of the comments here (and and in the comments section of part #1). It is incredibly too long - especially becaue so much of it is self-indugent. I'm not exactly sure what you are trying to say here... I don't mean to be disrespectful, but it comes across as, "I had this amazing life living in Africa and doing incredible things and then I had to come back here and it sucked, so I moved to Oak Park and I'm a better person because I covered South Africa and now I live somewhere that many people find frightening." I also have to laugh at your statement "admirable new mayor of Sacramento" Maybe you should have talked with the neighbors who had to live next to his investment properties that were not up to code? Or the amazing Director of 40 Acres Gallery in Oak Park who left because (in her words) ther personal actions of Kevin Johnson. I could go on and on, but I'm trying to be brief. Please keep writing about Oak Park, but please focus on Oak Park. You put the focus of this story on you and your life, not Oak Park. LARRY MEADE 2009-11-09T17:05:17Z Heidi Kriz comment-17498 2009-11-08T09:35:45Z 2009-11-08T09:35:45Z Points well taken. I have learned my lessons.Thank you, William Burg. Cheers, Kriz Heidi Kriz 2009-11-08T09:35:45Z William Burg comment-17430 2009-11-07T05:54:26Z 2009-11-07T05:54:26Z All I can say is "Welcome to the Internet." I have no doubt of your journalistic credentials, but Internet forums tend to invite cynicism and criticism in wholesale quantities. If you have ever read the comments sections of the Sacramento Bee or other online newspaper that allows public comments, or most Internet forums, they tend to attract the most gross invective, the cruelest of comments. In some ways I think this is because it is generally impossible to punch the offending commenter in the nose. As such, it is less dangerous than South Africa for newcomers that dive into things head-first. If you survived South Africa, you'll survive the slings and arrows of grumpy posters on an Internet forum. By comparison to some sites, Sacramento Press is relatively civil--in part because the staff encourage people to use their real-world names, and do make some effort to moderate uncivil responses. Or perhaps it is because most of us actually live in the same city, and might encounter other posters, who might actually punch them in the nose. Personally, I hope you can shrug off a few untoward comments and continue sharing your experiences in Oak Park. It has a rich history and its own special community spirit, as many Sacramento neighborhoods do. Its story in the present day also deserves to be told. William Burg 2009-11-07T05:54:26Z Heidi Kriz comment-17387 2009-11-06T16:20:23Z 2009-11-06T16:20:23Z Hi readers, First please all forgive me each and every one of you, if I sounded snarky in any of my responses to your postings, adn thank you all, whether you liked the peice or not , for reading it. It's actually my first time, in 24 years of being a journalist, on and offline, that I have been the subject of so much varied and substantial, public critiques on ANYTHING I have ever written, which was a little surprising to me, since, in my opinion, I have written and published far more flawed and controversial pieces, without drawing this level of criticism. So I am new at this posting "discourse," and may come off a little rough at it. However, I found that the complimentary postings kind and even over-flattering, and the critical ones; often useful; it's true, I should have written more about Oak Park and less about Africa. But as I said, then I sat down to write the piece, the associations between my experiences in the two places, and my so-called awakenings, to these two locales and their residents were very similar; so Africa snuck in more than was perhaps appropriate as a related subject. Nevertheless, I was never bragging about my world travels. In fact, I ended up in South Africa as a freelancer, because, after i graduated from journalism school, I had no interesting, job offers made to me at a liveable wage. So on the casual suggestion of a South African classmate of mine, I headed to SA, without contacts of job assurances of any kind. it was by sheer luck and the largesse of strangers that I survived there at all. Also, I made many many mistakes, especially in the beginning. Luckily, people forgave me as a novice who had no real credentials and i was able to eventually earn most people's respect. Again, being depressed, and unproductive, for years on end, after coming home from Africa prematurely as a result of my own, reckless behavior, is nothing to brag about. I am ashamed as to how long it took me to shake off those bad times and ill health. Now, I am simply grateful to be relatively healthy again, and productive adn useful to my friends and family and hopefully, my community. And with that, I think this will be my last posting regarding this story. Thank you all, critics adn fans alike, for bothering to read it. I wish you luck in your own endeavors. Heidi Kriz 2009-11-06T16:20:23Z Heidi Kriz comment-17366 2009-11-06T05:36:04Z 2009-11-06T05:36:04Z I have a suggestion, sir. Since I am obviously not familiar with all the "awful" things you are about Oak Park, why don't YOU write about them? Heidi Kriz 2009-11-06T05:36:04Z Heidi Kriz comment-17365 2009-11-06T05:34:32Z 2009-11-06T05:34:32Z Thanks for your kind words. The "Africa" part may still become a book, God or Allah or whomever, willing. And I agree with you about the "urban myth" of Oak Park; it is probably one of the safest neighborhoods I've ever lived in. Thanks again! Heidi Kriz 2009-11-06T05:34:32Z Heidi Kriz comment-17339 2009-11-05T23:15:59Z 2009-11-05T23:15:59Z Umm, Doggytrio (what?), I agree with you that there could have been more on Oak Park and less on Africa. (Though as I tried to explain in previous postings, my associations with Oak Park are very reminiscent of my associations with Africa. But no matter.) But I fervently disgree with the assertion that any of my reporting is inaccurate; you can contact any of my named sources and ask them yourself. In fact, I encourage you to. Also, are you yourself a resident of Oak Park? Perhaps you are, and that explains your vigorous concern about its representation. I hope you are, maybe I'll get to meet you someday, even randomly, the way I have so many new friends here. I don't now how I'd recognize you though, because you have no photo ID. Perhaps you'd be the girl walking three dogs? And what would i call you? DoggyTrio? Please, keep those comments coming... Heidi Kriz 2009-11-05T23:15:59Z Heidi Kriz comment-17338 2009-11-05T23:08:41Z 2009-11-05T23:08:41Z Okay geebomb, I apologize profusely about getting the name of the new coffee shop wrong; at least I managed to remember the "soul," part which seem to be the point to this and all conversations. As for Starbuck's pulling out of Oak Park, I don't think I ever suggested otherwise, and I don't know or care about the politics. All I know is that the neighborhood folks i have talked to about it all LOVE the idea of having an "Old Soul," around the corber from them. And for those diehard Starbucks types, there is still after all another Starbucks right down the way, on Stockton, I believe, for those who really need their fix. Are you someone who falls into that category? Or are you an employee of Starbucks? Either way, your adamancy over such a small point in my story confounds me. But please, fell free to find more to complain about....hint: I welcome the useful, interesting, relevant form of criticism, geebomb... --Kriz Heidi Kriz 2009-11-05T23:08:41Z Heidi Kriz comment-17336 2009-11-05T22:52:34Z 2009-11-05T22:52:34Z Great story. Good on ya. So, what is your name and what do you look like? --Kriz Heidi Kriz 2009-11-05T22:52:34Z waldorfandstatler comment-17312 2009-11-05T17:11:19Z 2009-11-05T17:11:19Z This article is entitled "Midtown : A Journey" When I was young boy growing up in San Francisco, the furthest we were allowed to travel was the fire hydrant on the corner. As we grew the boundaries grew further and further, one house to the next, till finally we had the run of the block. A lot of kids back then referred to themselves as "sir" like knights of the round table, so we had "sir sleepy" or "sir pelon" or "sir charlie" etc etc. San Francisco was dirty and grimy then, but viewed through the eyes of a child it wasn't that bad. The mission was our kingdom, and everyone's backyard was our wilderness. We explored by jumping fences, running away from dogs, climbing onto roofs and just generally going anywhere we COULD go. The cala foods near our home also provided adventure. During the summer and spring we would offer to carry groceries from patrons in exchange for tips. We'd then cobble our money together in a crude co-operative to buy bulk bags of candy or comic books. Our community 'library' didn't last long though as the older kids began to take advantage of us and sometimes ripped us off. One time in particular I was told by a miscreant "if your parents have money under their mattress, give me a 20 dollar bill and Ill turn it into a BUNCH of 1 dollar bills!" being young and naive, I fell for it. My father was furious and the eventual fist fight between my father and the other kid's dad was the stuff of neighborhood legends. Then we moved to Sacramento and in my early 20s I moved to midtown. The end. waldorfandstatler 2009-11-05T17:11:19Z Heidi Kriz comment-17306 2009-11-05T06:22:52Z 2009-11-05T06:22:52Z Sorry, Waldorfandstatler (and I may i politely and respectfully suggest that if you have the balls to comment on public on someone's very personal, very trying tale, that you use our own name and photo to do so.) I personally stand by everything I have ever published; even when I know I have fallen short, in spite of my best abilities, time constraints and intentions. I always strive for (though don't always achieve) balance, fairness and relevance. If you do not find any of these things in my writing than may I suggest what most people would do - stop reading it; and even better, contribute something of your own, besides an anonymous blog critique. Good luck with expressing your opinions anywhere and everywhere you choose; though I guarantee you, people will take them a lot more seriously if you unmask yourself. Heidi Kriz 2009-11-05T06:22:52Z The Parrhesiac comment-17256 2009-11-04T23:16:29Z 2009-11-04T23:16:29Z um..."well loved" ??? by whom? Their coffee sucks and it is over priced. The Parrhesiac 2009-11-04T23:16:29Z waldorfandstatler comment-17252 2009-11-04T22:54:09Z 2009-11-04T22:54:09Z Heidi- Stories of individuals extricating themselves from the pitfalls of life are always fascinating reading, but had you packaged the tale differently you might have gained more fans instead of critics. We grew up in Oak Park, we remember when hookers roamed stockton blvd, bus route 51 and 53, the house on the hill near parker and stockton blvd, luigis before hipsters discovered it. and so much more! Had you included more actual Oak Park content - it would have lived up to your title, but it didn't. So don't take it personally that we don't care about your travels and all. Just next time don't pull a bait and switch on us. waldorfandstatler 2009-11-04T22:54:09Z Heidi Kriz comment-17245 2009-11-04T22:04:26Z 2009-11-04T22:04:26Z Thanks for your insighful observation, Casey. I guarantee you ALL, I had NO intention of "preening," or "bragging" about my "world travels" (in fact, I only mentioned southern Africa; I could have added a lot more to the list, but it wasn't relevant to the correlation. What I WAS trying to do was to make a comparison between the kind of of awakening to the world around me, whether it is here in Oak Park, or someplace like South Africa, after having been quite cut-off. (In fact, before I went to South Africa I was very sick for two years with an undiagnosed auto-immune disorder. The only reason i didn't mention that relative similarity in comparisons is that I was concerned that there were a lot of people out there who weren't interested in hearing about "me." Apparently, i was right. So be it. I don't really care. I still stand by the belief that through my "sufffering," my depression, insularity and physical ailments, was I able to finally come out of that coma-like existance and respond to a unique place like Oak Park, and South Africa, very different, but very similar locales in a lot of important ways. For those of you who think I was "bragging," all you have to do is ask anyone around me for the last five or so years how I felt about my "fall from grace," and you might call it something else. Like gratitude. Which is what I call it. Heidi Kriz 2009-11-04T22:04:26Z DoggyTrio comment-17243 2009-11-04T21:50:58Z 2009-11-04T21:50:58Z Gee, what a totally self-indulgent and overly-wordy story. I don't mind memoir-type pieces, but this could sure use some editing. And I agree that while it's nice you've begun to enjoy your new neighborhood, I agree with other commenters that it would serve the area much better to spend some of your thousands of words on more accurate story telling, supported by more research (easily done online) of the recent political and economic history of the neighborhood. DoggyTrio 2009-11-04T21:50:58Z Casey Kirk comment-17240 2009-11-04T21:03:24Z 2009-11-04T21:03:24Z Geebomb, I think the great part about the comment sections below each story is that the story can be continued in the form of dialogue between the writer and the community. I think of it as an extended part of the story. Casey Kirk 2009-11-04T21:03:24Z geebomb comment-17231 2009-11-04T19:37:30Z 2009-11-04T19:37:30Z Check your facts, Oak Park didn't get rid of Starbucks, Starbucks pulled out. And the new coffee bakery is called "Old Soul" and is a well loved Sacramento business. geebomb 2009-11-04T19:37:30Z geebomb comment-17229 2009-11-04T19:31:39Z 2009-11-04T19:31:39Z I was also disappointed that this article had little to do with Oak Park. And I think in order to make this article title combination work, you may want to include what you said in the comments in the actual article. geebomb 2009-11-04T19:31:39Z waldorfandstatler comment-17222 2009-11-04T18:04:27Z 2009-11-04T18:04:27Z I'm glad you are open to overdue awakening! Might I suggest moving to the meadowview area for even more diversity? As a long time south sac resident and now expatriate - let me tell you, nothing teaches you more about a community than being a victim of vandalism, theft and robbery. Someday you'll find it though, the rainbow connection. The crips, the bloods and me, whooaaa whoaaa ohhh oh oh oh! waldorfandstatler 2009-11-04T18:04:27Z The Parrhesiac comment-17217 2009-11-04T17:00:11Z 2009-11-04T17:00:11Z I want the time it took to read your two articles back, you have sucked life out of me. If your so fired up about Oak Park, try writing a piece about how SHRA has screwed the area for decades, pumping the tens of millions of dollars that could have gone into Oak Park, into martini bars and restaurants downtown. Write a piece about how Lauren Hammond was asleep at the wheel when over half of Oak Park was left out of tens of millions of federal stimulus dollars. Write about how yuppies, hipsters and developers want to gentrify Oak Park because Mid-town has become too expensive for the average writer, artist or student. Write about how the City of Sacramento tore down the historic Youth Center at McClatchy park, which could have been used to educate and occupy the time of at-risk youth living in Oak Park. Write about the lack of community leadership in Oak Park and the fact that three white guys are the leading candidates for City Council in that district. There are many very important things to write about in Oak Park, your inability to keep a husband or boyfriend is just not that interesting, and is not the kind of journalism that could potentially make a difference in Oak Park. The Parrhesiac 2009-11-04T17:00:11Z The Parrhesiac comment-17216 2009-11-04T16:39:16Z 2009-11-04T16:39:16Z Agreed - The author should change the title of the story to "How great I am - because I traveled - now I'm thinking about how I will write about Oak Park" The Parrhesiac 2009-11-04T16:39:16Z Pinelli comment-17214 2009-11-04T12:55:10Z 2009-11-04T12:55:10Z Great story Ms. Kriz--thanks! It sounds like the perfect life-experience to become a book...? I lived in Oak Park for a few years in the early 2000s--38th and Y St. 'hood. Never had a problem, loved my neighbors and once I even left my car unlocked overnight (accidentally) with a camera and lenses and equipment in it--and no one took it. The suburb where I live now has had two house robberies on this block and 3 stolen cars in the past year. The "urban myth" of the dangerousness of Oak Park needs to end. The suburbs are just as bad. Pinelli 2009-11-04T12:55:10Z Heidi Kriz comment-17206 2009-11-04T06:34:57Z 2009-11-04T06:34:57Z Thanks. All your comments are welcome and embarassingly over-flattering. But I'll take them, nonetheless... Heidi Kriz 2009-11-04T06:34:57Z Heidi Kriz comment-17205 2009-11-04T06:32:37Z 2009-11-04T06:32:37Z Sorry you feel that way. The point I was trying to make was that the long overdue awakening I had to the potential of the current Oak Park was very, very much like that I had to the "new "South Africa. Having lived for a while in NYC, I DID think I was worldly-wise when I first went to SA, then I found out I was wrong, that the place and the people, though in a state of flux, and chaos, had a lot to teach me. i could not have recognized one experience without the other. Besides, technically, iI don't think "preening" describes getting depressed, physically maimed and becoming embarassingly unproductive, which is what I was for a very long time. And finally, I am emerging from it from those conditions, in thanks much to the joys of discovering the unique, diverting qualitites of Oak Park. I think if you travelled the world some more (you don't seem to have yet) you might feel the same way about your current hometown versus an exotic, unknown, locale. Heidi Kriz 2009-11-04T06:32:37Z Rhys02 comment-17195 2009-11-04T02:06:43Z 2009-11-04T02:06:43Z What the hell did this have to do with Oak Park?? All it is someone preening about how 'world-wise' they think they are..... Rhys02 2009-11-04T02:06:43Z easy comment-17194 2009-11-04T01:23:14Z 2009-11-04T01:23:14Z Very personal, very positive, and certainly described with very intuitive thoughts and feelings -- Oak Park is a place I would like to know better! This picture appeals to me! easy 2009-11-04T01:23:14Z Geoff Samek comment-17191 2009-11-04T00:13:06Z 2009-11-04T00:13:06Z You can also click on the green storyline tab on the upper right hand part of your screen to get to part 2 of this article. Geoff Samek 2009-11-04T00:13:06Z Heidi Kriz comment-17186 2009-11-03T22:18:22Z 2009-11-03T22:18:22Z Read the second part of this story here: http://sacramentopress.com/headline/17145/Whither_Oak_Park_Part_2 Heidi Kriz 2009-11-03T22:18:22Z