Positive annual job growth in the six-county Sacramento Region slowed in April 2013. Preliminary data show that the number of jobs on payrolls increased by 1.0 percent in the April 2012 to 2013 period compared to 1.6 percent annual job growth in the past month. The latest job growth equates to a gain of 9,000 jobs. The downturn in positive job growth was expected according to CSER's Sacramento Region Business Forecast, but the rate of growth in April was slightly lower than anticipated. The Region's April 2013 annual job growth also places it below the statewide and national averages as well as its neighboring region benchmarks. Four of the Sacramento Region's five largest sectors post

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A cluster of kiosks and small police envoys litter small pockets of one-way roads across the mid-town grid for one of the biggest announcements this year; we get to keep the Sacramento Kings. Thusday’s King’s rally at Cesar Chavez Plaza in Sacramento was part business and part concert for the citizens of Sacramento. “I’m still happy though for the city of Sacramento because, [you] know, this is all they got, they don’t have baseball team, they don’t have a foot ball team, [and] they don’t have a hockey team,” said Robert Bilbao, 25, employee of The Citizen Hotel across from Cesar Chavez Plaza. The enthusiastic spirit of new found hope was carried by old and new fans of

An unoriginal week at the movies Here’s a roundup of this week’s major new releases – two of which are sequels to sequels and one of which is like the product of a children’s movie mashup exercise. What’s most odd about these films is that for a group so embedded in formula, one breaks its own pattern and gets entirely lost along the way.   Fast & Furious 6 Directed by Justin Lin The biggest problem the “Fast & Furious” franchise has is to come up with a fresh, or at least workable, premise each time as to why we’re about to see a bunch of cars zooming about. Early on, the connections between some of the films were tenuous but there has actually been some relatively clever writing that

A few years back I met with the Marketing Department of the Sacramento Kings. We were pitching a comprehensive package which included social media coverage, advertising and even turning The Sacramento Press’ navigation bar purple for one day. After the introductions, somebody asked me – as a lifelong Sacramentan, a huge Kings fan and a founder of The Sacramento Press – what message I would send to get more butts in seats at what was then the ARCO Arena. The answer was glaringly simple. I told them: Get the Maloofs to commit to stay in Sacramento for a couple of decades. Do it publically. Have a celebration. You’ll sell out the building and you won’t need to pay us a dime. Incidentally, y

Q. Dear Law Librarian, I am starting a new business. I hired a graphic artist and now have a really awesome logo. I have gotten my business license and registered as an LLC with the Secretary of State. How can I protect my logo? What’s the difference between a trade name and a trademark? Dana A. You are right this is a confusing area of the law especially for new businesses. Trade Names Trade names are just the name of the business entity used in identifying a business and generally used by the company for billing, taxes, banking, or other identification purposes. Trademarks Trademarks are marks used in connection with goods or services so that consumers recognize the marks as identif

The Sacramento Children’s Chorus (SCC) will be spending its 20th Anniversary tour in China. But before they take off, the choir will be performing a free concert to preview their upcoming tour on Wednesday, June 12th. The SCC is comprised of five choirs with over 150 children, ranging in age from elementary school children to college freshmen. The SCC often collaborates with other choirs and musicians to present concerts with the aim of inspiring their audiences. The touring children’s choir has visited many countries in its 20-season run so far, including England, France, Hungary, Norway, and Sweden. This year’s trip will take the chorus to China, where the young singers will get to per

Hunger action day was held Wednesday May 22 at the state Capital. The day was a focused effort to promote and publicize bills AB 5, SB 283, AB 309, AB 191, and SB 134 at the legislature and with the public. Here is a quick summary of the bills. AB 5 – Homeless Person’s Bill of Rights SB 283 – Reentry and Job Support (for released prison inmates) AB 309 – CalFresh benefits for unaccompanied homeless youth AB 191 – Strengthening the connection between CalFresh and Medi-Cal SB 134 – No Hunger for Heroes Act James Kinchen and Tim Shadix, policy associate for the California Association of Food Banks. James related to me his story and how SB 283 would help inmates returning to society. In

NorCal AIDS Cycle: Four days, 107 riders, 100 crew, 330 miles, and $325,000 raised for HIV and AIDS awareness and treatment! by Councilmember Jay Schenirer When I ran for the Sacramento City Council 2 1/2 years ago, I had a lot of ideas about the kind of city and community Sacramento could be, and what I could do to move us in that direction. My vision included not only a robust economy that provided jobs for all Sacramentans, but just as important, a compassionate, caring and generous community that takes care of its own. Two and one-half years later, I’m more confident than ever that Sacramento can be that community, and here’s one of the reasons why – I just spent last Thursday, May

The Rind, a new cheese bar in Midtown with a rustic-meets-modern look and a farm-to-fork inspired menu, opens today at at 18th and L streets next to Buckhorn Grill. The focus of Rind remains the same from when we interviewed her last summer, while the plans were still in development. “Our mission will be to pair wines, beers, ports and bubblies with the featured cheeses so you get to learn how to enjoy them together,” owner Sara Arbabian said at the time. “We’re looking to create a really comfortable and fun environment where you sit down at the bar and order a cheese plate and a glass of whatever you’re jonesing for.” At the ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, Arbabian said she was g

The USDA recently identified South Oak Park as a “food desert” – a produce-deficient area – but a local convenience store and community development nonprofit have joined forces in an attempt to address the problem. Starting on May 26, Sam’s Market, at 23rd Avenue and 42nd Street in Oak Park, will offer fresh fruits and vegetables, sourced primarily from local small and midsize growers. The shop will also sport signs inside and outside that promote eating well and staying active, as well as “shelf talkers” – small signs identifying the healthiest option on a shelf of similar products. The Alchemist Community Development Corporation approached store owner Parminder Grewal early this year.