Community

Calling all pet owners: Send us your photos

2009-12-22T21:44:07Z

Tis the season to decorate your house, your tree and many times, your pet.

We'd love to see your photos of your pets dressed up in their holiday best. Send your photos to journalism@sacramentopress.com with the name of your pet, your name and where you live, and we'll put together a photo essay of the photos we receive.

Halloween in Sacramento - a photo essay

2009-11-01T19:37:00Z

Photos of the dog fashion show by Eric Whalen

Photos of Midtown Trick or Treat by Suzanne Hurt

Photos of Halloween night by Tina Armour

Pets dressed for the holidays

2009-12-25T00:35:14Z

Thanks to those of you who have sent pictures of your pets. We'd love to have many more photos from your family gatherings or celebrations. Please continue to send your pet photos to journalism@sacramentopress.com

Gertie is a 1-year-old pug. Her owner is Tyler Williams.

Bradley Wiggins, a Westie sits in front of owners Ali Tabatabai's and Monica Gutierrez's tree.

Suzanne Hurt holds Appa, a toy Australian Shepherd and Lhasa Apso terrier mix. Jonathan Mendick and Samedi Thach are the owners of 4-month-old, Appa.

Beau, a miniature Schnauzer, dreams of sugarplums and fairies but Cal still lost yesterday's game despite wearing this t-shirt. Loren and Elaine Belcher own 13-year-old Beau.

Sac City College's magazine in jeopardy of being cut

2010-01-07T23:20:16Z

A student at Sac City College wrote to The Sacramento Press asking us to help spread the word that Mainline magazine could be cut if it doesn't reach the minimum enrollment. Below is the email we received from Stephanie.

My name is Stephanie and I wanted to write you and let you know that Sacramento City College's journalism program has really taken huge class cuts this semester, which is definitely unfortunate for young journalists.

One class that is being cut in particular is Mainline magazine. If the roster doesn't reach 20 people by Monday, Jan. 11, it will be cut. Mainline is a very important class, it helps writers, photographers, graphic designers and illustrators by putting them in an environment that mimics the development of a magazine. I don't know if you can help or what can be done, but I just thought I would throw that out there? I think this program helps students in our community a great deal and to see it be cut, would really be sad.

http://www.losrios.edu/lrc/lrc_reg_online.php

This link is where people could go if they wanted to sign up for the class. This class is award-winning and at the end of the semester students produce a magazine. There is even a working website www.sacmainline.com.

Friends of Laura Ling share their experiences

2009-08-10T09:00:56Z

The Sacramento Press has followed the timeline of journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee since their detainment in North Korea, covering some of the vigils that took place in Sacramento.

Ling was born and raised in Carmichael and her ties to the Sacramento community brought enormous support for the two women throughout their ordeal.

Following Bill Clinton's visit with Kim Jong Il, Ling and Lee were pardoned and allowed to return home. The Sacramento Press interviewed two of Ling's friends to hear what it was like for them during Ling's absence.

Cheryll Marsh and Stephanie Tomasegovich met Ling in seventh grade at Barrett Middle School in Carmichael. Marsh met Ling through the school's drill team and Tomasegovich met Ling because of their shared love of New Kids on the Block.

Friendships made in middle school proved to be instrumental in the campaign and efforts to get Ling and Lee back home safely.

On March 17, when Ling and Lee were arrested on charges of spying and illegal entry into North Korea, both Marsh and Tomasegovich heard the shocking news while at work. Tomasegovich came across the story via the Internet and Marsh's mother called her on the phone.

“I was in complete shock, in disbelief,” Marsh said. Her first thought was, “How do we get her out?”

“I didn’t believe the severity of it,” Tomasegovich said.

“I was going to do something," Marsh said. "I wasn't going to just sit around.”

Tomasegovich sent a letter to Michelle Obama appealing to her as a mother, since Lee is also a mother of a girl.

Marsh sent letters to officials in North Korea and to President Barack Obama pleading for the release of the two journalists. Both women sent numerous postcards to Ling, and Marsh wrote emails to Ling even though she knew she wasn’t able to read them.

One of her emails read, “I’m thinking about you. I think about you every single day.”

Both Marsh and Tomasegovich were put under the media spotlight because of their friendships with Ling. The two spoke on radio programs and at the vigils in Sacramento.

Tomasegovich was not a fan of all the media attention. “I did not like it," she said. "I was unprepared, [but] I did it for Laura.”

Tomasegovich made bracelets similar to the Live Strong bracelets. She passed out the baby blue bracelets that said “Keep Hope Alive” to everyone she knew and sent them to Lisa Ling, Laura's sister, in L.A.

For Tomasegovich, the most difficult part was a feeling of helplessness. She said she hated not being able to help Ling and wondering what her family was feeling every minute of the day. She also felt guilty about having her life continue to go on knowing what Ling was going through.

Marsh said the most difficult part of Ling being away was not knowing anything, especially at the beginning. She admitted it was very discouraging because no one knew what to do.

"The turning point [was] when I met with an old friend of the Ling [family], a friend of Laura's and Lisa's mom at a cafe in San Francisco," she said. "I had a new sense of purpose. [I thought to myself] stop being sad, there needs to be action!"

On Aug. 4, the news of Ling and Lee's release reached the two friends.

Marsh described her reaction as “the most amazing feeling.” She said that their release was “a dream that I kept on playing in my head,” and her heart lifted when the dream became a reality.

Tomasegovich was in the midst of a trial as a juror. She received the news from her brother while on her lunch break. She yelled out to the jury, “You guys, she’s coming home!”

She also made it a point to tell the judge presiding over the trial. “The judge announced it to the court and everyone cheered,” Tomasegovich said.

Both friends agreed that the media played a huge role in keeping the Ling and Lee story on the public’s mind and in bringing them home.

“As much as people hate the media, the more they were annoying, the better it was for them,” Tomasegovich said.

Tomasegovich recently lost her job and her sister-in-law pointed out that everything happens for a reason. Had she been employed full-time, she might not have been able to appear on TV and speak on the radio.

In a Facebook message, her sister-in-law said, “Life needed you and you were there.”

Both women have been celebrating the safe return of their long-time friend, but neither have spoken to or seen Ling since her return.

“She needs her privacy,” Marsh said.

“She’ll give me a call when she’s ready," Tomasegovich said.