Letters for Aug. 29, 2019

Re: “Halal things considered” by Kimberly Brown (Dish, Aug. 15):

Kimberly Brown did a very nice article about one of my Falafel Corner franchises, but the back story is just as amazing as the food we serve. You see, I started working at the original Falafel Corner in Fremont shortly after my release from prison in 2013.

I went on to open up my own restaurant in my hometown of Sacramento, bought out the original owner, trademarked and copyrighted everything and turned it into a franchise. I now have 12 franchises, mostly in the Sacramento area. All my cooking skills actually came from San Quentin state prison. I was told to establish the first ever halal kitchen inside prison. It was there that I knew I had a gift for cooking. I carried that sense of service and joy of cooking with me to the outside. Falafel Corner is the result of that passion for serving humanity through food.

Sajad Shakoor

Sacramento / via email

Nonprofit power

Re: “Power play” by Scott Thomas Anderson (Feature, Aug. 15):

The end of your story implied that our only choice is large corporate utility monopolies. On the contrary, at the distribution utility level there are many other business options available. Sacramento’s own SMUD is a great example of a utility cooperative that has the interest of the customer and has a reputation as a distribution system at its core, rather than corporate profits and greed at Wall Street board tables. The perceived “economy of scale” usually only brings distance and inefficiencies to bloated corporations that have little connection between top management and the customer.

Jeremiah Rohr

Sacramento / via email

Life-saving training

Re: “Prepping for disaster” by Tess Townsend (Feature, Aug. 8):

I cannot more highly suggest that every Sacramento resident pursue CERT training. It specifically addresses every point in the article, and then some. As a former member, I can attest to the comprehensive skills of chief instructor Robert Ross. With the full support of the Sacramento Fire Department, the training and skills you learn are second to none. You can spend as little as a few evenings, or go all the way to becoming an EMR and being deployed to emergencies around the state.

It is a life well spent, irrespective of any infirmities or disabilities. As Ross often said, there is a job for everyone. Learn to care for your own, and help others in the process. Help make Sacramento the safest city in the U.S.

Arthur Cropper

Sacramento / via email

Impeachment doomed

Re: “Don’t add to partisan polarization” by Jeff vonKaenel (Greenlight, Aug. 15):

You hit the nail on the head. Democrats need not snatch defeat from the jaws of victory by focusing on a doomed-to-fail impeachment exercise. Our energy should be spent organizing voters for a decisive win in 2020.

Adrian Rehn

Sacramento / via email

Correction

Re: “Nickel and dimed to death?” by Foon Rhee (Editor’s note, Aug. 22):

The article misidentified the city of Sacramento garbage customers who will have to pay a new food waste collection fee. They are those who don’t pay for city yard waste collection because they live in condos or townhomes that don’t have yards or that get service from homeowner associations. SN&R regrets the error.