Making History in Sacramento

Rep. Doris Matsui On Mayor Johnson’s Volunteer Initiative

2009-03-02T20:07:54Z

The following is a news release from the office of Congresswoman Doris Matsui:

Calls for Renewed Commitment to Service in Wake of Recession

Sacramento - Rep. Doris Matsui (CA-05) renewed her call today for Americans to participate in community service in the wake of challenging economic times. As a Co-Chair of the National Service Caucus, Rep. Matsui has been an advocate and leader on national service issues. Congresswoman Matsui has continued to promote service locally, participating in numerous events with service members who build homes, tutor children, clean parks and assist first responders during fires and other natural disasters.

Congresswoman Matsui also introduced House Resolution 43 earlier this year, which recognizes the efforts of those who serve their communities on Martin Luther King Day and promotes the holiday as a day of national service. As the Honorary Chair of Volunteer Sacramento, Rep. Matsui released the following letter today in support of the Mayor Kevin Johnson’s initiative:

Dear Friends,

As your representative in Congress and as Co-Chair of the Congressional National Service Caucus it is an honor to support Mayor Kevin Johnson’s efforts to increase volunteerism in our city.

From our nation’s beginning, Americans have always valued service and giving back to the communities that we are from. Sacramento is no different, as the spirit of volunteerism has always defined our city. We are privileged to be home to AmeriCorps*NCCC’s western headquarters, hundreds of community based non-profits and countless individuals that are committed to improving the lives of others. I am confident that this new initiative, which is designed to further enhance that spirit of volunteerism, will enjoy your support.

I look forward to working with you to help this initiative be a resounding success, a success that our city can be proud of.

Best regards,

DORIS O. MATSUI

Art Beast offers fun and funding

2010-01-11T06:08:53Z

Working with youth in crisis is a tough profession. Bridget Alexander can tell you firsthand. She and her partner Blithe Raines are the co-founders of the Waking the Village foundation. The nonprofit runs a transitional living community called The Tubman House, which serves young parents and their children.

Alexander and Raines have worked with youth for over a decade, sometimes receiving gut-wrenching 2 a.m. phone calls about crises needing immediate action. Realizing they needed something fun, easy and not gut-wrenching at all, the couple decided last year to open Art Beast, a venue that introduces children under 7 to the arts.

Kids are a good motivator, said Alexander, 42, who has three children with Raines. Besides providing an open area for children to explore the arts, Art Beast also provides a source of funding for Waking the Village, and former Tubman House residents will soon be offered jobs there.

Alexander first began working with youth in the '90s, as a high school teacher working with gang members. Raines was a teacher at the Mustard Seed school for homeless children. They both agreed youth needed stability to be able to grow and learn, so they founded Waking the Village in 1999.

To kick off the organization, they took a group of 25 at-risk youth, ages 11-21, on a 2,300-mile cross-country bike ride from California to Florida.

"That (journey) was testament to our (mission) that if you surround people with support and create a community, you get people to the finish line," Alexander said. "It's amazing how resilient, strong and fearless young people are embarking on the unknown."

That experience also inspired them to continue with plans to create the Tubman House in 2003. With recent instability in the grant market, they decided to open Art Beast as another source of income to fund, and hopefully expand, Waking the Village.

Benefitting from a strong renters' market, the pair received five months free rent at their Midtown location for Art Beast, which allowed them to achieve their goal of breaking even. To keep costs as low as possible, Alexander, Raines, their friends and family built the studio by hand.

Since opening in July, Art Beast has seen a strong start with up to 60 children dropping by every day. It has already provided some funding for Waking the Village, and Tubman House graduates can bring in their children for free.

"Parents are usually right in there with their children," Alexander said. "About 75 percent of the parents are doing art with their kid."

Art Beast runs like a gym -- you can either buy a membership or drop by any time. It offers classes like painting, singing, dancing and even a young children's theatre workshop. Parents as well as children 8 and over are allowed, but need to watch their speed and elbows, Alexander said.

"It's not intimidating, and it's fun," she added. "We think it will be good for kids."

A new season of classes begins Monday and classes are stand-alone, with the exception of a linear theater class called "Art Beast Mini-Players," which kids should be signed up for by Monday, Jan. 18. Click here for the full schedule of classes.

Alexander also said to expect expanded night hours soon, enabling kids to be dropped off for several hours while their parents participate in Second Saturday or go on dates. A summer camp is also in the future for Art Beast.

Photographs by Kati Garner.

Micromidas turns waste into plastic

2009-12-28T06:04:39Z

In the 1967 film "The Graduate," Mr. McGuire advises protagonist Ben Braddock, "There's a great future in plastics." A handful of recent UC Davis graduates have heeded that advice and are building the next generation of plastic.

Their company, Micromidas, processes sewage sludge, the hardened layer of waste from sewage treatment facilities, into Polyhydroxyalkanoates, or PHAs. Simply put, it turns poop into plastic.

Founder and CEO John Bissell said he was motivated ethically and economically to form a truly "green" plastic company in all aspects of production. Micromidas uses bio-waste and biological methods to create biodegradable plastic.

The idea that in the right conditions, bugs create PHAs, first came to Bissell and his friends doing external research at UCD. In April 2008, Bissell partnered with six other UCD students to replicate these conditions, and their experiment won first place in the Environmental Protection Agency's "People, Prosperity and the Planet" competition.

As a result, they received a $75,000 two-year grant, which was dispersed earlier this year. They then attended UCD's Green Technology Entrepreneurship Academy, where they learned how to realize their business' potential.

Their business methods are both complicated and somewhat confidential, said Bissell, who has a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering. Micromidas' office in West Sacramento currently holds the company's 10 full-time workers and six interns.

"The main thing I do here is screen for productive microbes that will make a lot of plastic under the conditions that we want," said Casey McGrath, director of biological research and UCD alumnus with a bachelor's in biochemistry. "One of the things that is difficult is figuring out which bugs make plastic in an easy way."

That question was solved by taking an agar jelly plate and putting bugs with dyes and chemicals into the plate. The bugs will uptake those dyes and chemicals, and if those chemicals bind to plastic then they will glow under an ultraviolet light.

There are also homemade bug sorters, a bug library and a bug graveyard.

"We take millions (of) bacteria out of a pond," Bissell said. "There are certain characteristics that bacteria have to have to be PHA-producing bacteria. So we apply selective conditioning so only those bacteria can survive. So it sorts it down from a million to maybe a thousand bacteria."

When a not-yet-finalized formula of those micro-bugs interacts with sludge from Sacramento and Yolo County waste-water treatment plants, they create a kilo of PHA in five to six days.

As for their PHA, "It has no toxicity level at all," Bissell said. "You could eat it."

He demonstrated its superior physical properties over the most produced bioplastic, polylactic acid, or PLA. He noted how one popular PLA product, a cup made of corn starch, melted when holding hot water. The PHA, he said, has a higher melting point.

PHA is sold in pellets and can turn into anything, Bissell said: cards, bottles, anything you can fit into a thermal injection mold. Micromidas is currently in talks with Johnson and Johnson, Pepsi and Nestlé to purchase their product.

"The bugs need to work (well enough) to go to commercial scale; they're nowhere near the optimum formula," Bissell said. "The next step is to set up a satellite office, commercial plant, and expand from that."

Political collectibles show and sale in Sacramento

2009-12-11T06:11:59Z

Looking for a way to hold history in your hand? Former presidents Bush, Carter and Clinton, as well as President Obama, will appear at the Sierra 2 Center on Sunday -- on buttons, badges and posters.

They are all part of a political collectible show and sale put on by the Northern California Chapter of American Political Items Collectors.

The APIC, a nonprofit that began in 1945, has more than 2,000 members and 19 regional chapters. Northern California's chapter has about 300 members, said Adam Gottlieb, the chapter's president.

Gottlieb has been collecting political memorabilia since he was 11, starting with a Teddy Roosevelt button from 1904. Gottlieb, 45, said Roosevelt memorabilia makes up the bulk of his collection, which will be among those on display.

In addition to the show and sale, the gathering will serve as the chapter's meeting. Besides showing off their collections, local members of the APIC will appraise memorabilia brought in by the public.

"If a button comes in, we can separate the real pins from the fakes," said Gottlieb. "We can tell you the condition, scarcity, and give an estimated value."

One year, a man came in with a chest full of various presidential memorabilia, among them Taft and Roosevelt buttons, and left with a check for $4,600. Thousands of buttons will make up the bulk of the show and sale, Gottlieb said.

He also noted that the button as we know it was created in 1896. Before that, people had badges or tokens people would hang with a ribbon or a clasp.

Some of the rarest political artifacts in existence are from George Washington's presidential campaign. They include buttons that would be sewn onto a vest or jacket.

Many APIC members have a collection from a specific president; Nixon, Lincoln and Kennedy are among the most popular. Cary Jung, an APIC member, will be displaying his collection of Jerry Brown memorabilia at the event.

"(Collectors) come from all walks of life: (from) stock brokers, students and scientists (to) people who work in the Capitol," said Gottlieb.

The event takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday in Curtis Hall at the Sierra 2 Center, 2791 24th St. General admission is $4, children and students are free.

Photographs courtesy Adam Gottlieb

Lots of music through a little Banter

2010-02-11T03:09:00Z

When Sacramento's Tyler Stover and Matt Halverson started Banter Records five years ago, they never expected to be where they are now.

The two friends just found that Neon Indian, a Texas-based band signed to Banter's sister label, Lefse Records, is scheduled to perform live on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Thursday night. Popular music website Pitchfork Media described Neon Indian's debut album, Psychic Chasms, as "one of the year's most replayable albums," and rated its lead single, "Deadbeat Summer," the 13th-best song of 2009.

As a result, Neon Indian gained wide popularity and is scheduled to play at major festivals like Bonnaroo and SXSW this summer.

"No one really knew about [Neon Indian]," Halverson said. "It was only a week or so after we signed them that they took off."

Halverson, 31, and Stover, 29, both grew up in Fair Oaks but went their separate ways after high school. Stover earned a degree in industrial technology at Cal Poly, while Halverson quit school in Santa Barbara to intern for a New York music label.

After Stover got his first taste of the music business writing the business plan for the music label as his senior project, the two decided to move to San Diego and start a home-based record label. They signed a number of their friends' bands in the San Diego and L.A. areas, but after four years, they decided to add management and promotional services, changing the name to Banter Media and Management.

They created Lefse in part to sign Neon Indian. After discovering Neon Indian on a blog last year, they wanted to sign them to a unique label, since their sound didn't match up with Banter's lineup. They named it Lefse after a Norwegian flatbread Halverson's family grew up eating.

Last May, Halverson moved back to Sacramento, and Stover followed six months later.

Wednesday morning, the friends sat in their Midtown Sacramento office with Halverson's shaggy gray Shih Tzu and roommate/intern "M.K." The three walked from East Sacramento while Stover walked alone from his Midtown home.

All three employees in the room - Stover, Halverson and M.K. - type on Apple laptops. The office is small, but holds a lot of CDs and records. No one has a title or a business card.

Only months ago, Stover and Halverson had day jobs, but now they're running three record companies full time. Stover worked full time until last October testing packages for medical suppliers so they can have their shipments approved by the FDA. Halverson didn't mention what he did. Instead, he kept typing.

Halverson's duty is to recruit bands onto each PR roster and label, while Stover runs each band's management and promotional services. A handful of interns (during the interview, one named Megan worked in a back office booking tours for bands) do everything else.

The friends recently decided to start another label, to highlight lesser-known bands they personally listen to.

"We've got Banter Records, Lefse Records, Banter Media, and now we're also starting an all-digital label, Waaga records," Stover said.

"Waaga (is) an all-powerful African god from Ethiopia," added M.K., who runs the Waaga imprint for Banter.

Waaga's first release, Witches, from another Texas-based artist, FUR, will come out Feb. 23. But for analog lovers, Lefse still releases vinyl of Neon Indian's album Psychic Chasms.

"Lefse is reserved more for bands that are on tour nationally, who demand product and physical distribution" Halverson said. "Waaga is for bands we want to work with but are not at that level yet. Because there is less risk involved, we can sign more niche bands."

Photo 3: From left to right: M.K., Halverson, Stover

Sacramento City Council Meeting

2009-02-04T22:14:36Z

Concerned citizens, city council members and Mayor Kevin Johnson all gathered in Sacramento City Hall to discuss the "Strong Mayor" initiative. Though only one out of every 5-10 seats were filled, a sense of urgency permeated the crowd that was present. Nearly a dozen citizens spoke, some with a tone of disdain and fury, in front of the mayor and council.

Before the public could comment, City Attorney Eileen Teichert gave an in-depth presentation (view powerpoint here, and video here) comparing and contrasting versions of governance of the top 10 California cities. It also compared and analyzed how Sacramento's proposed Strong Mayor initiative stacked up to cities in California and other west coast cities.

Afterwards speakers such as Sacramento resident Chester Newland, a USC professor with a Ph.D in public administration, voiced their opinions on the current Strong Mayor initiative. Newland said, "We want a team of stars, not one star acting as a 'boss mayor'. [Having a team of experienced council members inputing their own wisdom] will help distinguish the mayor as a worldwide success, and make the city a great city, like, for example, Phoenix and San Antonio."

Former Mayor Anne Rudin, the first woman to be elected Sacramento Mayor added, "I am still not convinced that currently cities with 'Strong Mayors' have a better government than Sacramento." Others called the proposed initiative a "huge distraction", while praising Mayor Johnson for postponing the initiative amidst the state's budget crisis.

Council member Steve Cohn spoke for many other council members when he said, "it is exciting to rethink," the current governance system in Sacramento. Council member Rob Fong added that we should be asking of our system "is there something that needs to be corrected?", before jumping the gun to change something.

Visit this website for upcoming city council meetings and events.

17th Annual State of the City

2009-02-26T04:41:38Z

Today Mayor Kevin Johnson made a strong speech at the 17th annual State of the City address in Sacramento State University's Student Union.

Amidst Sacramento's high rates of unemployment and violent crime and a large state budget deficit, Mayor Johnson made it clear that "we must have a new way to address the problems of the past."

One way Johnson said citizens can help the city is by taking the "opportunity right now to get our fair share, or maybe even more from the state of California" and also by having "ins and outs on how to get economic stimulus dollars."

Then Johnson applauded Congresswoman Doris Matsui, who secured more than $69 million for Sacramento in a comprehensive appropriations bill this afternoon. A spokesperson from the congresswoman's office confirmed that Matsui then received an additional $4.7 million as part of a recovery package to help Sacramento residents avoid homelessness.

"We want to have a laser focus on our economy," Johnson said, adding, "Congresswoman Matsui is going to be our biggest asset in getting funds."

The $69 million bill will give $59,467,000 to five local energy and water projects, $7,950,000 to transportation development including Light Rail and Amtrak, $500,000 to commerce, justice and science, $500,000 to sewer and wastewater and $642,000 to labor, health and human services and education, according to a news release from Matsui's office.

Johnson wanted to assure Sacramentans that his priorities are creating "a city where our streets are safe and secure," and, "a city where we're known for great schools." Johnson added, "if we can look at this as an opportunity...we can navigate through this darn system."

"Let’s take steps to make sure we're going to develop our rivers, and let's make Sacramento a world class destination city,” Johnson said. “We want to be a city creating more jobs and a friendly business environment. That is my commitment as a mayor."

Johnson, who has been in office for only 86 days, also took the opportunity to thank Sacramento's City Council members, city staff and Steve Hammond, who helped organize the Amgen Tour of California in Sacramento. The Mayor was energetic and seemed to draw on themes from President Obama's recent State of the Union, saying, "To be able to hear from young people about what we can do is very important. There's so much for us to be excited about in our city."

Martin Luther King Day March

2009-01-19T21:59:32Z

On Monday, Martin Luther King Day, thousands marched from Oak Park to the Sacramento Convention Center as part of MLK365.org's "The Dream is Now" celebration. Police blocked off the streets for the marchers, led by a number of Martin-Luther-King-themed floats.

Monday also marked the eve of President Barack Obama's inauguration, and the celebration seemed to have a dual role. Many were celebrating King's life, and at the same time paying a tribute to future President Obama, who as the first African American in the highest office of the United States, is already an historic President.

The march proceeded across Sutterville Rd. to Freeport Blvd. and on to downtown. Once in the Convention Center, a public job fair, several arts and crafts vendors, and health and education information booth awaited marchers. Meanwhile, a few speakers and musical groups entertained the crowd outside, while the audience held signs, displayed t-shirts and chanted slogans borrowed from King's lifetime of speeches.

Tracy, who marched from Oak Park said "Dr. King is the past, and Mr. Obama represents the present for us. We're marching for both of them."

Her walking partner Bernadette added, "It brought back memories of high school, but back then we used to march everyday to have the day be a national holiday. Everyone nowadays is also inspired by Mr. Obama and that is part of why I'm here now too."

Chris, a sixty-one-year-old volunteer for MLK365 said that the United States had come a long way. Though a New Jersey native, he traveled to the South and witnessed segregation. Today was a particularly joyous day for him, since, he said, "I know what it means to see signs that say whites only, and colored only."

MLK365.org, a Sacramento nonprofit, has helped the region come together to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday as well as to honor his legacy by offering opportunities for employment, education and health service resources. The mission of the organization is to weave King's philosophies of non-violence and principles of social justice into the Sacramento community, a real version of an ideal place for its residents.

This march is the Sacramento region's largest (approximately 10,000 people according to MLK365.org) and most diverse celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The 'Mother of Sacramento'

2009-12-26T01:03:06Z

Mother Ruby Muhammad is proof that it's never too late to do anything. An orphan who met her father when she was a teenager, Muhammad joined the Nation of Islam at age 49 and learned to read at 60.

Sacramento's oldest supercentenarian at age 112, Muhammad will perform songs and tell stories about her life March 7 at the Imani Community Church. The first-time performer will be joined for the one-night-only performance by her friend, playwright and vocalist Suzanne Brooks, and Brooks' band, The Jazz Generation.

The show is tentatively called "I Believe I Can Fly," after Muhammad's favorite song, written by R. Kelly. It also aligns with her positive outlook and her belief that if she had wings, she could fly.

Muhammad was born Ruby Macie Grayer in Sandersville, Ga., in 1897. She grew up in Americus and worked on a farm that belonged to the family of former President Jimmy Carter.

Muhammad's first memory is picking cotton. In her childhood, the family didn't own much, not even a bed. Muhammad's daily routine was to pick up her few belongings from the floor and work in a cotton or peanut field from 4 a.m. to 7 or 8 p.m., said Brooks, who was asked recently to write Muhammad's biography.

"They were like slaves, really," Brooks added.

On the farm, Muhammad used work tools as musical instruments. One of her favorite songs was "We Are Climbing Jacob's Ladder," which she plans to perform.

Because she never had a formal education, Muhammad made her living doing housework. Besides Georgia, she has lived in St. Paul, Minn., San Francisco and Sacramento, where she moved to be closer to her daughter after Muhammad's second husband died.

She's surprisingly physically and mentally sharp for a 112-year-old. Sitting in a recliner in her home in a South Sacramento retirement community, Muhammad moves to her couch without a walker to pose for a photograph.

She wrote a book of poetry in 2001, and recites one of the poems off the top of her head. Muhammad claims she's still a limber dancer, an avid bingo player and a cook.

She uses a hearing aid and owns a wheelchair that was a gift. But Muhammad is all smiles and can talk your ear off.

"She loves me and she helps (me) to understand love in a really special way," said Brooks. "She will call me sometimes at one or two in the morning to chit chat about politics, the world, or the environment."

In 1986, the leader of the Nation of Islam, Louis Farrakhan, named Muhammad the Mother of the Nation of Islam.

Muhammad said she loves the title of "mother," and added, "I'm proud I took care of children."

She recalled finding a 4- or 5-year-old Jimmy Carter getting into her peanut sack.

"I shoved him off. He went 'Waaah,' " she said. "His mother came in the door and said, 'What happened?' I said, 'He fell.' "

Carter didn't hold it against her. After all, Muhammad was the boy's nursemaid. During his presidency, Carter invited Muhammad to the White House.

"I love people and I think they love me," she said. "I may be fooling myself, but I don't believe I am. That's me."

The great-great-great-grandma said she would like to be regarded as "the mother of the U.S.," "the mother of Sacramento" and "Mother Ruby to the whole world."

Her goals include writing more books, being the oldest woman on Earth (she must outlast a handful of supercentenarians) and receiving a third invitation to the White House to meet the Obama family and eat dinner with them. "I didn't ever think I would live to see a black president," Muhammad said. "I like him and I think he'll make us a good president."

She's traveled all over the United States, to Mexico, the Bahamas, Italy, England and France. Muhammad loves music, especially jazz, as well as writing poetry. "I do what I want to do, and I go where I want to go," she said. "I'm just happy to be alive."

Her advice for younger generations?

"You can do anything you want to do if you put your mind to it. Plant that in your mind like a seed in the ground."

Advance tickets can be purchased by mailing a check or money order with the number of tickets requested and return address to: 3325 Northrop Ave., Sacramento, CA 95864. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. The Imani Community Church is located at 2100 J St.

Check The Sacramento Press closer to the event date for more information.

Flying motorcycle inventor to speak at California Auto Museum

2010-01-07T04:06:53Z

A high-speed rail connecting Sacramento with the Bay Area could take years, if not a decade. But on Sam Bousfield's flying motorcycle, you would be able to make it to the Bay in less than 45 minutes.

Bousfield's Meadow Vista-based company Samson Motorworks is currently creating a prototype of the hybrid motorcycle/airplane. The Switchblade Multi-Mode Vehicle is a two-passenger three-wheeled motorcycle with fully retractable wings that turns it into a plane.

Well, at least it will be, said Bousfield, who hasn't yet actually built a working model.

This Saturday, he will bring a quarter-scale model of his imagined vehicle to the California Auto Museum's "Born To Ride" exhibit, which will be on display from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Between 1 and 3 p.m., Bousfield will also be available for a public meet-and-greet and discussion about the future of transportation.

Bousfield, 53, describes himself as "mechanically inclined." He earned an architecture degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo before working with Boeing engineers on aircraft propeller technology for a race plane. He eventually helped design a new plane wing that would allow a propeller plane to break the sound barrier.

Moving on from that project, he created Samson Motorworks in 2000 which develops aircraft. Bousfield first thought about creating a flying motorcycle in 2003, but two and a half years ago, he got serious about the Switchblade, realizing aviation needed something useful.

"I wanted to get more people into aviation, off the roads and into the air," Bousfield said. "You look at anybody's dream of the future and they're (traveling) in the air."

He teamed up with about 16 other people, including employees of an aeronautical engineering company, and a team of three certified flight instructors, one of them Bousfield's personal flight instructor, Don Campbell. The plane is a kit-plane, meaning its $60,000 cost will only cover the purchase of the frame's parts.

Purchasing one of three engine options, which can give the engine up to 260 horsepower, will cost an estimated $20,000 more.

Then, you have to put it all together.

The kit is for a person who has average tool skill, not a professional, Bousfield said. Though he says it takes about 2,000 hours for the untrained builder, he plans to have a build center where professionals can help you put it together in less than three weeks.

Also in the works is a pair of non-flying models called Aerobikes, which get up to 70 miles per gallon, and another flying vehicle called the Snowbird. The Snowbird will be able to store a pair of skis on top of the vehicle during drive mode, and move them underneath the cabin during flight mode.

Campbell, 64, who will finish training Bousfield to fly in about three weeks, said he hasn't seen any viable flying car-type invention since the 1950s.

"There happens to be an Aerocar at the Auburn airport, and it's a flying car," Campbell said. "It's about as close to one I've seen with the same abilities, (but) the Switchblade and Samson Motorworks is really on the cutting edge."

Campbell explained that the aviation controls, motorcycle controls and instrument panels are extremely conventional and familiar to any motorcyclist or pilot. The senior flight instructor at Sierra Vista Aviation in Auburn, also offered to teach future pilots of the Switchblade.

Samson Motorworks received its first $2,000 deposit for the Switchblade kit in July and has received 20 more since then. A motorcycle license is required to drive it, and a private pilot license is required to fly it.

What's the next invention?

"I've always wanted to go into space," said Bousfield.

To view the full specs of the Switchblade, visit Samsonmotorworks.com.

California Auto Museum, 2200 Front St., Sacramento. Admission to the museum is $8, $7 for seniors, $4 for students. Children under 5 are free.

Justice Reform Coalition keeps an eye on Sacramento

2009-08-20T04:48:58Z

On April 30 of this year, Woodland resident Luis Gutierrez was killed by undercover police officers. This Saturday, the Justice Reform Coalition will be attending a march calling for an independent investigation of his death.

The 26-year-old was shot and killed by Yolo Sheriff's deputies who maintain that he pulled out a knife.

Sacramento's Justice Reform Coalition (JRC) formed in 2005 as a response to unaddressed complaints of abuse in the prison system. In one instance, then 21-year-old Brandon Johnson claimed that deputies beat him and broke his nose during his incarceration.

At the time, NAACP law advisor and community outreach chair Reverend Ashiya Odeye was part of a committee investigating the complaints.

After local press got wind of the complaints, a big push to find out about prison abuse began. But after a meeting with the sheriff, NAACP president Betty Williams gave the committee an order to desist investigation, Odeye said.

The committee investigated anyway, eventually bringing up the issue of prison abuse in a meeting with the county board of supervisors. During that meeting, Williams overlooked talking points that the committee wanted her to discuss.

The NAACP did not get their point across effectively, and it put the committee in a bad spot, Odeye added.

As a result, Odeye and the committee members decided to break off from the organization. And so it was, in 2005 with four friends (several of them legal advisors), Odeye created the JRC.

The group advocates for residents who have faced political or social injustice. Besides taking on several cases of prison death and helping to overturn gang injunctions, in one case last February they successfully overturned a race-based expulsion in the Elk Grove School District.

When a local resident contacts the organization for help, the group meets with attorneys to determine if the JRC can advocate for the resident. If they can, they help the resident hire an attorney or mobilize an action committee to organize press conferences, demonstrations, meetings or marches to raise awareness of the resident's injustice.

Hundreds of people have participated in previous marches. Please read the flyer in the photograph above for more details on Saturday's march.

In addition to having legal and action committees, the JRC has worked heavily with the Sacramento Police and Sheriff's Departments.

"We've been working with the police and sheriff's department on [making] policy changes, having them change the head of the internal affairs and creating an active Racial Profiling Commission," said Odeye, who represents District 5 on the commission.

"We were pushing for a citizens' board, an oversight board, [but] what we ended up getting was the inspector general," he said. A position created in 2007, the inspector general's duties include overseeing the sheriff's department, evaluating the quality of law enforcement and being the department's community liaison.

Two months ago, with the help of Steve Payan, a 26-year-old community activist and organizer for JRC's action committee, JRC formed "Copwatch" to add to their program "Courtwatch."

"Copwatch polices the police, and makes sure they are not profiling, harassing, or using brutality," Payan said.

Payan joined the JRC when he realized that the killing of Gutierrez could have affected someone close to him, or even himself.

"That could have happened to me, my cousin, my family, anyone, " said Payan, another Woodland resident.

Courtwatch aims to ensure that trials are fair and just. The JRC hands out fliers to each juror to make sure that each one knows what their rights are, and to remind them that they play an important part in the court system.

Though Copwatch has only been active so far in Woodland, the Sacramento branch will have more meetings in the next few weeks. This Saturday, the next few Copwatch meetings will be scheduled at the JRC monthly meeting at 909 12th St. from 10 a.m. to noon.

"If he pulled out a knife, they could have tasered him, shot him in the leg, but they shot him in the back," Payan said.

"I believe it's really important for young people to get involved, because if you look around there are not too many people in our generation who stand up for justice," he said. "As a young person, I try to motivate other young people to get involved."

Photographs credit JRC

Congresswoman Matsui Meets with Usher to Discuss Urban Youth

2009-02-27T22:23:12Z

The Following is a news release from the office of Congresswoman Doris Matsui:

Today Congresswoman Doris Matsui met with multi-platinum performing artist Usher Raymond IV to discuss national service issues and the importance of empowering America’s urban youth ahead of the House Education and Labor Committee’s Improving Service and Volunteerism Hearing, at which Usher testified.

As a Co-Chair of the National Service Congressional Caucus, Rep. Mastui has been a leader on national service issues, including advocating for volunteer corps to assist our country with education, environmental and public health projects, as well as provide relief in national emergencies.

Usher is the founder of New Look, a non-profit charity organization which aims to provide young people with a new look on life through education and real-world experience. The organization builds upon participant’s interest in athletics, music and entertainment to support the growth and success of young people from disadvantage circumstances.

Congresswoman Matsui and Usher spoke about the importance of advocating for volunteer programs, and the renewed sense of service and volunteerism that celebrities, Members of Congress, and President Obama each have a responsibility to promote and encourage.

“I appreciate Usher coming to testify before Congress and the important service that New Look is providing for urban youth across the country. Empowered youth are more likely to be active in their communities, and today’s hearing is an important step in bringing together government and non-profit organizations to provide incentives and opportunities for Americans to make real investments in their community through service and volunteer projects” said Congresswoman Matsui.

*photos by Mara Lee, Press Secretary

City Council meeting draws hundreds

2009-03-11T07:32:36Z

Approximately 300 people showed up at City Hall Tuesday evening, many wielding homemade signs, wearing yellow shirts, and sporting stickers to show opposition to $8.6 million in funds being distributed by the City of Sacramento for proposed construction on K Street.

Dozens began gathering at 5 p.m., but by the time the arguments had been heard from both sides and Mayor Johnson and the City Council voted unanimously in favor of the proposal, which had been altered in an accord reached earlier today, it was nearly 10 p.m.

For nearly four-and-a-half hours, people filled all 240 seats in the Council Chamber, and earlier in the night, around 100 more waited outside. Almost all were there to speak about or listen to arguments on item 18, the K Street construction project, which was addressed at 7:45 p.m.

First, David Taylor of David Taylor Interests, Inc. gave a few details of his company's involvement in other downtown projects such as the Sheraton Hotel and City Hall. Taylor said, "For every $1 the city has given us, we spend $15 of our own. We want you [the City] to be creative and risk-taking in a time when it's difficult to take risks."

Councilmember Ray Tretheway then explained that the city was trying to promote hospitality businesses, and that the developers and the City had already agreed on a private accord which amended the proposal.

Even so, nearly an hour of public comment followed, with business owners and concerned citizens giving their own insight into the situation. Speakers against the proposed construction included Dave Virga of Paesano's, Rob Kerth of the Midtown Business Association, and Jim Seyman of the Tower Cafe among others.

Virga said, "I've opened 10 Sacramento area restaurants in Sacramento all without the help of city funds. What we need is more housing and hotels."

Kerth asked, "The city decides who is the winner and the loser? For a pizza joint, mermaid bar, and a cougar den?"

Jim Seyman added, "You [the city] really discourage that great enterprising spirit. If the restaurants that exist now are going to survive, we need more people living downtown."

After business owner and the de-facto spokesperson for the opposition, Mason Wong, concluded with a statement. Mayor Johnson asked those opposing the project to stand, causing most people to stand and cheer.

Sid Heberger of the Crest Theatre, Michael Ault of the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, and Randy Paragary of Paragary Restaurant Group as well as others, gave statements of support for the construction.

Heberger said, "We need to reach a critical mass, it's the next step to filling the 10th and K area."

Ault congratulated the mayor on his enthusiasm, adding, "We cannot wait to continue work with you, and downtown has a very good future."

Taylor closed the public comment section of the meeting by saying, "We're not ecstatic about [the accord], but we will accept it."

Further details of the accord were not available at the time the article went to press.

'That Midnight Kiss' lights up the Crest's 60th anniversary celebration

2009-10-08T03:09:57Z

The Crest theatre brought back memories for one pair of Sacramentans Tuesday Night.

Dick and Joanne Cossairt, both 76, were among hundreds on hand to celebrate the Crest's 60th anniversary with the screening of "That Midnight Kiss."

"The new Crest marquee looks the same as when we were kids," Joanne Cossairt said. "They did an amazing job."

The evening began around 6 p.m. with many in line at the concessions table for the 60th-anniversary special: ten packs of Smarties candy which were popular in the 1940s, soda and popcorn for $3. Then at 7 p.m., Crest manager Sid Heberger took to the stage to make a presentation.

She thanked those who were there at the original screening and a young couple celebrating their second wedding anniversary. As they all stood up, they were congratulated with a round of applause.

After the film, people of all ages, wearing fedoras, three-piece suits and vintages dresses, mingled in the lobby while eating cake provided by the Village Cake Shoppe. Others stood outside to look at the bright new marquee.

"It's beautiful that the Crest is being preserved, and we should not forget about (old) times," said Bob Herron, a 42-year-old downtown resident. He comes to the Crest regularly, he said, and recalled attending punk concerts there in the 1980s.

"I'm glad the city put money into the marquee instead of knocking it down and building another Parygary's or sushi or froyo," said Patrick Skiffington, a New Era Park resident. The 33-year-old is a washboard and kazoo player for the jazz duo Freebadge Serenaders.

"The Crest is cool, having to pay (only) 60 cents (for a movie) is even cooler and I think it's really cool that they showed the original film," Skiffington added.

"It was a fun movie, but cheesy," said Liz Sivell, 23, from Oak Park. Sivell said she had been hanging around at the Crest for a while, and she regularly helps out with the Trash Film Orgy, so it was just a typical night out.

"Watching the movie for a second time, you hear different things," Dick Coassairt said.

"We laughed a lot more this time," his wife added. They both saw the film the first week it opened at the Crest, but they didn't go together, she said.

In fact, Joanne turned town Dick when he asked her out on a date nearly 60 years ago, in high school. They eventually went their separate ways and both were married to other people.

Dick became a widower first when his wife died, and then Joanne was widowed when her husband passed away in 1993. Both Grant High School alumni, class of '51, the pair were reunited at their 55th high school reunion in 2006.

They were married on May 30th of this year and live together in Citrus Heights.

Several weeks ago, the recently-wed couple read a story about the Crest marquee being relit. When they saw the theater would screen "That Midnight Kiss" for its 60th anniversary celebration, they realized they both saw the movie 60 years ago.

"(The film) brings back a lot of memories," Joanne said. "I used to listen to (Mario Lanza) and do my homework."

"We used to cruise K Street," Dick added. "We would go to Stan's Drive-In down the street."

"The Crest used to be the tallest building on K Street, but now it's the shortest," Joanne said. "We would never come downtown without hats, dresses and gloves. It felt like we were kids again."

High school close to moving into vacant Newton Booth School

2009-10-09T05:31:50Z

Sacramento Country Day School soon could become the only high school in the grid. School officials are close to signing a lease for the Newton Booth School, 2600 V St., according to Stephen Repsher, Country Day headmaster.

It also would mark the first time since 1976 that the Newton Booth School is being used as a school. Since closing because of earthquake concerns, it has been home to a medical insurance group and an environmental consulting group.

"It could be in the next few weeks," Repsher said. "However, we still have to go to the city's planning commission and raise $1.7 million. We've moved a long way forward, but we're probably coming up in the next two to three weeks on some sort of final determination."

As mentioned earlier in this storyline, school officials looked at more than 100 locations over the last twenty years, before locking their sights on the old Newton Booth School location. According to an article in the Octagon, the school's newspaper, fulfilling a "dual-campus vision" has been a priority since 1989, when it was brought up by then-Headmaster Dan White.

Currently, Sacramento Country Day School serves 14 grades, pre-K through high school. If the school is able to lease the site, it will move its high school students to the new location to give them more room.

A move to the Newton Booth School would increase Country Day's building size from 13,000 square feet to 50,000 square feet. Its current location, 2636 Latham Drive, holds more than 500 students.

"One major hurdle is the special use permit. Because it was used as an office, even though it was a school through 1976, it's considered a 'change of use' today," Repsher said. "Of course there are a myriad of hurdles you need to go through to be ADA compliant, there are fire department requirements, there are additional city requests for repairing sidewalks -- none of those are necessarily insurmountable."

A second major hurdle is raising $1.7 million, he said. "Funding will really depend upon the ability of our community to support this cause. We have a community that is very supportive of education, but this economy is a real challenge for folks. We usually don't get support from other entities, it's usually the parents."

Fortunately for the school, there is no lack of community support.

"It will improve the quality of life in that area of the neighborhood because of (the school's) commitment to working with the neighbors," said Richard (Bud) Halliday, president of the Newton Booth Neighborhood Association. "My understanding is that when they have events, neighbors are invited to participate and there is no cost involved. It will bring a sense of togetherness (and) add some class to that area of the neighborhood."

In an interview with The Sacramento Press nearly six months ago, Halliday said that there was no opposition to Country Day moving in. He said Thursday morning that he still has heard "nothing" from opponents of the move.

"Everything is very positive," he said. "It's a win win situation really."

The school will not increase traffic, Halliday said, citing the last two tenants as an example. "Basically, the traffic pattern is people come off Highway 50 at 26th Street and go into the parking lot. They (also should) encourage people to take light rail, and there are two light rail stations convenient to the school."

An ideal move-in date would be the beginning of the next school year, late August, 2010. But that's an ideal date, Repsher said. "There are hurdles. It's hard to imagine how many there are, a tall order. It's a twenty-year dream that the school has had."

Raised streets, hollow sidewalks in Sacramento

2009-04-01T06:07:22Z

Imagine walking through a series of underground tunnels, skylights from the sunny streets above pouring in ambient glow. Citizens hurriedly walk across the glass skylights above, going about their modern-day business, oblivious to the group of people underground viewing architecture, photographs and artifacts more than a hundred years old.

This occurred recently while surveyors walked into a number of hollow sidewalks underneath Sacramento streets, and one day, more might be able to view this buried historical treasure.

William Burg recently wrote this article on Sacramento Press about the City's plan to survey underground sidewalks in Sacramento .

The goal of the survey was "to identify character-defining features of the streets and hollow sidewalks and establish a methodology for surveying and recording these spaces," said Meg Glynn, project manager for Paige & Turnbull, the lead consultants for the project team, which includes the City of Sacramento.

Nearly 30 people attended a workshop in historic City Hall to view Glynn's brief PowerPoint presentation, then participated in a question-and-answer session to discuss concerns and the survey's progress. The survey, which was made possible by an $18,000 grant between the State Office of Historic Preservation and the Capital City Preservation Trust must be completed no later than September 30th.

Many questions were about proposals to use the underground sidewalks as part of a historical tour and tourist attraction might result from the survey.

"This is one potential historic preservation opportunity that could be a tremendous tourism and revenue primer for the city of Sacramento," said Fred Turner, preservation commissioner of the city's Development Services and member of the Capital City Preservation Trust. "But, that whole issue of tours is beyond the scope of this survey," he added.

To apply the results of the survey to a tour, a more concrete business plan would be needed, and it would eventually need to be presented to the city council for a final decision.

One person had heard of Seattle's underground sidewalk tour through Burg's Sacramento Press article, but many others also questioned how a potential historical tour would operate.

When questioned whether the sidewalk was publicly or privately owned, Kathleen Forrest of the city's Historic Preservation Office answered that the entrances to the sidewalks are privately owned, but the sidewalk itself is public. Therefore, a tour would be possible only with collaboration between the city and private owners, and would mutually benefit the two entities.

For Seattle's Underground Tour, which has entrances into several disconnected underground sidewalks, the city even subsidizes some rent money to building owners who have entrances to their underground tour. The hour-long tour in Seattle is guided by a paid docent who gives tourists a historical perspective of the city and explains the architecture of the three blocks of underground sidewalk.

Then the tour stops in an underground museum where patrons can purchase history books and other Seattle-related merchandise. A ticket will also give tour takers a discount at stores connected to the underground sidewalks, some of which are ground floors of modern high rises, some historical buildings.

"The streets in Seattle's underground tour are also walled off block by block, and about 300,000 people a year pay $15-20 to take the tour," said William Burg in the conversation section of his Sacramento Press article.

Approximately 40 hollow sidewalk spaces have been surveyed by the Sacramento survey project, which is continuing to make progress. Most building owners who have replied to the survey have been very receptive to the surveyors.

“There are folks within the city government, and within the local business community, who would like to see such things happen--especially people interested in increasing local tourism” Burg added.

For more information, contact Kathleen Forrest, associate planner of the city's Historic Preservation Office at 916-808-5896 or kforrest@cityofsacramento.org

Nobel Peace Prize nominee Mu Sochua visits Sacramento

2009-09-18T05:02:02Z

Mu Sochua had a request of her audience: "I ask you to please monitor [my] case, because it's very very likely that I will go to jail," the native Cambodian said in a speech in Sacramento.

The social worker and women's rights and democracy activist was a Nobel Peace Prize nominee in 2005.

About 40 people gathered Monday at noon in a conference room at the U.C. Center in Sacramento to hear Sochua speak. In the speech, presented by the World Affaris Council, she spoke about ending the sex trafficking of women and children, opposing land grabs and reforming the corrupt Cambodian court system.

Sochua came to Northern California in 1973. She earned a degree in psychology from San Francisco State and a master's in social work from the University of California at Berkeley in 1981. Before she could return to Cambodia, Sochua learned that her parents had been killed by the Khmer Rouge, the regime responsible for the deaths of more than a million Cambodians.

Sochua returned to Cambodia after 18 years of exile to help the government rebuild after the Khmer Rouge lost power. She is an outspoken member of Parliament, and spoke about her recent defamation lawsuit against Prime Minister Hun Sen of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP).

"He said that I go around, grab men and take off my shirt," Sochua said. It's an insult that usually would not be challenged by a woman in a society rife with gender inequality, she explained, but added "that cannot be tolerated. The issue here is dignity."

"That situation was reverse, actually," Sochua said. "An official in the military who was campaigning for the ruling party assaulted me at the marketplace and my shirt came undone."

But before the prime minister could be brought to trial, he countersued Sochua's lawyer. "The Cambodian Bar Association put so much pressure on my lawyer that he would have been disbarred," Sochua said. "Then he left me without defense, apologized to the prime minister and joined the prime minister's party."

So Sochua defended herself in court.

In what she called a show trial in which no investigation was conducted, Sochua was found guilty of "speaking out," "speaking on behalf of women," "spreading disinformation" and "suing [the prime minister]," she said. After not paying a $4,000 fine and being stripped of her legislative immunity, Sochua, a member of Sam Rainsy, the leading opposition party, could face life imprisonment when she returns to Cambodia.

"That's why I'm going from place to place, talking to people like you," she said. In a recent meeting with Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, Sochua urged the United States to send a high level delegation to assess civil rights issues in Cambodia.

"If I were imprisoned, the situation would bring more attention to donors and the world community," Sochua said. "That is the symbol for struggle for justice, it will speak loud[est]."

Hers is not a poor country, Sochua said, citing Cambodia's natural resources and more than $1 billion of foreign aid per year. She pointed out that $53 million of that money comes from the United States. "It's just badly managed, losing about $500 million a year to corruption and a lack of political will."

Moderator Robert Cassinelli, on the board of the World Affairs Council, spoke of the importance of Sochua's speech. "I would like to thank Mu Sochua for illuminating something which is a [part of the] human condition: human rights and gender issues," he said.

A young Cambodian American asked what Cambodians in the United States can do to help reform the Cambodian justice system.

"I hope that you will take some action, because you can," Sochua said. "I would like you to go and write a letter to your legislators and ask your government, 'What are you doing in Cambodia?' "

Audience member Samedi Thach called for action. "I hope everybody listens to her and writes the letter she asks for and keeps tabs on her to make sure that she doesn't disappear and what she's fighting for doesn't go away.

"Instead of staying here and living the American Dream, like a lot of Cambodians, she's actually trying to make changes in Cambodia," added Thach, a 24-year-old Cambodian American living in Sacramento. "Knowing that she's going to go back to face 20-to-life, or assassination, it makes her message more powerful: She's willing to go back and be a martyr for the cause that she believes in."

Harvesting the 'City of (fruit) Trees'

2010-03-15T02:42:49Z

Sacramento is nicknamed the "City of Trees" for a reason. Even in its most urban core, the city is filled with fruit trees.

So what happens when those trees produce more fruit than the owners can harvest, let alone eat? One option is to let Harvest Sacramento take care of it. This year alone, the group has collected more than 13,000 pounds of fruit from the Sacramento area, all of which goes to the Sacramento Food Bank.

Harvest Sacramento organized a Midtown Fruit Harvest on Saturday in which 25 community volunteers helped pick more than 1,300 pounds of citrus for the food bank. In just three hours, the group collected grapefruit, oranges, lemons and kumquats from nine houses in the grid.

The group was inspired by an East Sacramento couple, Mary McGrath and Robin Aurelius, who organized a grass-roots effort to harvest unwanted oranges from trees in the McKinley Park area. After that group delivered more than 3,000 pounds of citrus to the Sacramento Food Bank in early 2009, Soil Born Farms joined in and took a lead role in increasing community involvement.

"We have big white bins to put the fruit in, and the food bank picks them up and weighs them," said Randy Stannard, a food access coordinator at Soil Born Farms. "The giver gets a receipt and a tax write-off for about $1 per pound."

He mentioned that the group canvasses the grid and asks homeowners if they would be willing to let Harvest Sacramento harvest their fruit. He also said the group is trying to create an urban food forest map to keep track of the number and type of fruit trees in Sacramento.

"It's a service for homeowners, taking unused and unwanted fruit," said Courtney Cagle, an Americorps Vista member working at the Sacramento Food Bank. "It's taking a resource that's already available, that would go to waste, and instead we turn it into healthy, nutritious food for people who can't afford it."

She said that the 1,300-plus pounds of fruit will begin to be distributed at the food bank Monday.

South Land Park resident Juliet Rice found out about the harvest from her son, Miles Tsue, a junior at McClatchy High School. The event was one of the community service options that McClatchy requires as part of its Humanities and International Studies program, and a number of high school volunteers showed up.

"It's a wonderful hands-on, real-world service that can go directly to the people who need it," said Rice. "I'm happy (the fruit) will go directly to the food bank, otherwise it would just go to waste."

Added Waimen Yip, another parent of a McClatchy High student: "You're helping the homeowner and the people getting food."

Homeowners seem to agree. While harvesting a grapefruit tree at one house, a neighbor asked Harvest Sacramento volunteers if they could harvest her lemon tree. The group accepted the offer.

Another homeowner explained how Harvest Sacramento helped her.

"My husband planted the (orange) tree 20 years ago and it gives good fruit, but he recently passed away and it's been really hard to do yard work," said 60-year-old Rosemary Sanchez. "When these people came, I thought, "This is a godsend. This is all good: It's a way of sharing with others and they're always welcome back next year."

For more information, visit harvestsacramento.wordpress.com.

Stockton Boulevard: A Little Saigon in Sacramento

2010-02-04T02:57:20Z

Tuesday night's City Council meeting featured dancing, cheering and even crying. The excitement anticipated the City Council's unanimous vote for the area on Stockton Boulevard between between Riza Avenue and Fruitridge Road to be named Little Saigon.

Councilman Kevin McCarty, whose district includes the one-and-a-half-mile stretch of Little Saigon, proposed the vote to the City Council in January after months of public input from South Sacramento business owners and community members. It's now the city's inaugural cultural district.

Starting at 5 p.m. Tuesday, hundreds of Vietnamese and supporters of the campaign for Little Saigon began filling the city council chamber for a pre-council-meeting reception. The group included, among others, a Korean pastor, Vietnam War veterans, monks, several busloads of Vietnamese from South Sacramento, a nine-member Little Saigon committee, councilmen McCarty and Rob Fong as well as Mayor Kevin Johnson.

Many were holding American flags, waving South Vietnamese flags and wearing pins which read "I ♥ Little Saigon."

"This is an important recognition that is long overdue," McCarty said in a conversation before the council meeting. "In the last decade you've seen this stream of revitalization and it's a large part because of these Vietnamese businesses, so calling it Little Saigon is an important thing to do. Having a certain spotlight on this one ethnic group helps bring positive attention."

He also explained that 100 years ago, Stockton Boulevard was a thriving transportation corridor and the main connecting road between Sacramento and Stockton — hence the name.

Rob Fong joined McCarty to speak at the reception. He said before addressing the crowd that this is a completely different deal than an unofficial designation like the "historic Chinatown" between Third and Fifth and along I and J streets.

"Little Saigon is heavily populated with Southeast Asian businesses," he said. "A lot of our Southeast Asian community lives out in that area, and it's a natural positive move for the city of Sacramento."

California State Assemblyman Van Tran from Orange County — the site of the oldest and largest Little Saigon in the U.S. — and SMUD board director Nancy Bui were among the Vietnamese community leaders who spoke to the gatherers in Vietnamese.

Bryan Ngo, a 39-year-old office worker, said he often travels to Stockton Boulevard to get a bite to eat or go shopping, and feels the recognition of Little Saigon is long overdue.

"It's very good for the people around there, and it's time for us to be united," he said. "As soon as I heard about (the campaign) a couple months ago, I volunteered a few hours to help."

Nhon "Neo" Trinh, who has owned Design Copy Print Center on Stockton Boulevard for the last nine years, has seen the growth of the area firsthand.

"It changed a lot," he said. "New buildings and businesses have helped the area grow. Years ago, there was a lot of prostitution, but it's been better since the Vietnamese dominated the area."

But will new signage and the name Little Saigon continue to improve business in the area?

"Yes, it helps and everybody needs it," said Trinh, who is also the fundraising and sponsorship chair on the Little Saigon Committee. "It's branding, so when people think to get Vietnamese or Chinese food, they'll go there. People love the name, and tourists on the highway can see signs for it, too."

Before the City Council's unanimous decision, teary-eyed councilman and Vietnam Veteran Ray Tretheway described what the name meant to him.

"Tonight, you've truly empowered me, and now I know why I was there," he said. "You really captured for me that you're willing to build a legacy with us in America. Thank you."

His statements drew applause from the audience.

An adjacent half mile of Stockton Boulevard is expected to be approved as part of Little Saigon Feb. 9 by Sacramento County supervisors. A Feb. 13 ribbon-cutting ceremony is tentatively scheduled for 10 a.m. on the corner of Stockton Boulevard and Riza Avenue to coincide with the Vietnamese New Year (Tết) celebration, said a representative from McCarty's office.

Kathleen Haley contributed to this article.

Traces of Italy in Sacramento

2009-08-01T03:17:50Z

Sacramento's Italian community is known to produce gourmet food, but there's much more to the community than Biba, Sofia's and Hot Italian.

With this weekend's Festa Italian opening Saturday and running through Sunday at The Croatian Culture Center, we take a look back at the role Italian immigrants and their descendants played in Sacramento's history.

Italian Americans have a long history in the Sacramento area. Agriculture and food processing are just some of the many successes of Italian Americans who settled in the area in the early 1850s, but their successes are hardly limited to that.

Early Italian Americans

Many of the earliest Gold Rush settlers who migrated in the "Mother Lode" area surrounding Sacramento were from the Liguria region of Italy -- specifically the city of Genoa. That was followed by a second wave of Italian immigrants from other areas such as the Veneto region.

By 1880 an estimated 10,000 people from the area around Genoa began to dominate the farming industries to meet the demands of the local population. The people are known as "The Genovese," which also refers to the regional Italian dialect they speak.

By the end of the century, Italians were one of the largest groups of immigrants working in the deep gold mines. But they were also masons, woodcutters and ranchers.

The Italians continued to thrive after the Gold Rush, Italian farmers produced large amounts wine, olive oil and other crops. Italian fishermen established themselves on the Northern California coast.

After the Gold Rush, Ligurians Antonio Cerruti and Marco Fantana founded the Del Monte canned food label. Giovanni Lombardo built the Lombardo Winery in El Dorado County, which is now the award-winning Boeger Winery.

Domenico Ghiradelli, who had traveled through the Gold Rush towns selling chocolate and candy, settled in San Francisco and built a chocolate empire. Many local Italian Americans shared similar stories of success.

"Italians in Sacramento had a concentrated community," said Bill Cerruti, founder and executive director of the Italian Cultural Society. "Many had farms and lived in East Sacramento near East Portal Park."

By the mid-1900s, the community, now unofficially referred to by elders as "Little Italy," had a weekly newspaper called La Capitale, which ran from 1906 to 1945, as well as festivals and dinners.

Men were known to play bocce ball in East Portal Park. The group is now the East Portal Bocce Club.

Italian American Internment

As America’s involvement in World War II became imminent, many Japanese, German and Italian immigrants in Sacramento were detained and forced to relocate. Italians, who were at the time the largest immigrant group in the United States, were interned, restricted and taken from their homes.

"Ten thousand were forced to relocate," Cerruti said. "The Exclusion Act used on Italian Americans destroyed the [Northern California coastal] fishing industry."

After the end of the war, Italians built East Sacramento's St. Mary's Catholic Church in 1948. This was the "golden era" of the community, according to Cerruti.

Italians from other areas in the city moved to East Sacramento, and the community reached new heights. But in the 1960s, Cerruti explained, many second generation Italian Americans looked to drop their "foreign" identity to assimilate into a more "American" identity. The next generation, in the '70s and '80s, wanted to learn about their Italian roots again.

Italian Cultural Society

In 1981 Cerruti created the Italian Cultural Society (ICS) with several goals in mind. His dream was to create a newsletter, have a location where Italians could gather and learn to speak Italian and hold a cultural festival. All of these dreams were realized in the first five years of the ICS' operation, which was originally headquartered in a room at the Sierra 2 Community Center in Curtis Park.

As the ICS grew, so did the need for new facilities. The group used a second classroom in the Sierra Center and other facilities such as Cal Expo and the Croatian Cultural Center, for its festivals.

Then, in 2007, the ICS moved into a building in Carmichael, near Carmichael Park.

Complete with custom marble flooring, a library, four classrooms, a full kitchen, a ballroom with multimedia equipment and alabaster chandeliers and a patio overlooking Carmichael Park, the Italian Cultural Center is a sight to behold.

Cerruti took out a mortgage for the center, located at 6821 Fair Oaks Blvd. The biggest question is how to pay it off.

"Basically we figured to pay it off in 10 years," Cerruti said. That was before the economy tanked. Now the ICS must cut costs and hold more fund-raising efforts, he said.

Currently the ICS has more than 1,000 members, and its monthly newsletter Altre Voci (other voices) is sent to nearly 11,000 households. Annually, more than 1,000 students attend 13 levels of Italian language classes at the center.

The original location in the Sierra 2 Community Center still holds half of the ICS' language classes.

Lately, Cerruti said, traditional dinner dances have become less popular. In order to increase community involvement, a youth group named Gioventú formed to bring together a younger 18- to 40-year-old Italian American crowd.

"I'm amazed at the activity in the Italian American community," Cerruti said. "Right now there's more activity than ever before, due to a revitalization in Italian American culture."

A "Hot" Italian

Igor De Angelis is one young Italian immigrant from Milan who wants to bring an authentic Italian flavor to the community. Currently working as a waiter at Hot Italian, Igor's dream is to be a successful rapper.

"It was an obsession," De Angelis said of his love of hip hop. "My dream was always to make my music."

As a teenager, he became a member of a graffiti team, break danced and studied the lyrics of American emcees. After moving to the United States to pursue his dream, he bought a laptop and began making beats.

By chance, De Angelis ran into an old friend of 2Pac's, who listened to his music. She told De Angelis that his beats were better than many other musicians’ who had been in the industry for years.

This motivated him to find a recording studio, and he eventually record an album. In 2008, De Angelis was finally able to achieve his dream of creating his own album, called La Nona - The Ninth District of Milan, rapped almost entirely in Italian. It was recorded under the stage name "Rigo of Di Casa Nostra."

"Rigo" was his nickname name back in Milan, when he was in a graffiti crew called Di Casa Nostra, or DCN for short. It means "our house."

A single from the album, "Grand Prix," was recently played on Yuba City's KRYC 105.9. Having a friend tell him, "I heard your song on the radio," De Angelis said, was a great moment.

Festa Italiana

This weekend, everyone is Italian at Festa Italiana. The ICS' 24th annual celebration of all things Italian will be held Aug. 1-2 at the Croatian Cultural Center at 3730 Auburn Blvd. (The Italian Cultural Center would hardly hold the estimated 3,500 attendees)

The highlights include an Italian marketplace, car show, children’s activities, festival queen pageant, bocce ball, music and dancing. The festival features food from Northern California's Italian restaurants and caterers. On the menu is calamari from Monterey Bay Calamari, lasagna from La Famiglia and Gelato from Hot Italian, among other dishes. The ICS describes the festival as "like attending two-day wedding reception."

Festa Italiana will take place from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m.- 6 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $10. Visit italiancenter.net for more information.

Sacramento to host Global Entrepreneurship Week events

2009-11-17T03:20:52Z

Global Entrepreneurship Week debuted in Sacramento on Monday. Former Kings player Bobby Jackson was among nearly 50 entrepreneurs at ARCO Arena for "Mentoring Equals Millions," featuring a panel of owners of multimillion-dollar businesses each telling how a mentor helped him reach success.

After the event, speakers and GEW organizers gathered at Capsity Offices, 2957 3rd Ave., for a networking lunch.

GEW will feature 10 more speakers in Sacramento throughout the week, said Ricardo Robles, Capsity Offices co-founder, and regional coordinator for GEW. Robles also mentioned that more than 87 countries around the world will participate in the event, which was begun last year by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and Make Your Mark, an organization based in the United Kingdom.

Robles added that GEW provides an opportunity for Sacramentans to meet other entrepreneurs.

"Lots of people were engaged and it set the tone for the rest of the week," he said. "It's the perfect place for GEW because there's a lot of talent (in Sacramento) that can help the economy."

One of Monday's speakers, Bert Gervais, talked about his experiences creating www.Placefinder.com, which helps college students find housing. The 24-year-old also spoke of his book, Who's in your Top Hive: How To Find Your Success Mentors, and his plans to create a "Success Mentor Education" program.

"It was a very positive and engaged audience," Gervais said. The New York resident just completed a monthlong speaking engagement called the Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour at a number of California city colleges. "It is awesome how authentic people are here; people have a purpose."

Local entrepreneur Kristene Smith came to the GEW gathering at Capsity to network and display her eco-clothing and home fashion line made out of bamboo fibers. The Kristene Smith Collection can be purchased at the Britt Steele fashion boutique.

"A lot of (entrepreneurs) are isolated and it's great for us to get together and listen to someone who's insightful," Smith said.

Tim White, president of www.Sacmix.com, a resource for food and drink specials in Sacramento, helped provide food for the event. White, who said he wanted to present a sampler of "Sacramento's best" food, had dishes by Tres Hermanas, Roxy Restaurant, Pete's Pizza, Sapporo and Beach Hut Deli on hand.

"I'm excited to meet other entrepreneurs," he said, adding that he would be attending several of the week's events. "In this economy, owners have to be dedicated, (because) only amazing businesses will thrive."

Here is the schedule for the rest of the week:

The "G" in Entrepreneurship
Tuesday, Nov. 17, 6 - 8 p.m.
West Sacramento City Hall, 1110 West Capitol Ave.

Speakers:
Chris Schuring (COO, Ternion Bio Industries)
Ingrid Rosten (Executive Director, SARTA CleanStart)
Phil Tretheway, (Senior Designer, Marketing By Design)

Being a Woman Entrepreneur
Wednesday, Nov. 18, 6 - 8 p.m.
Sacramento City Hall, 915 I St.

Speakers:
Sharon Gerber (President, Six Degreez, Inc)
Griselda Barajas-Keolani (CEO, Griselda’s Ventures)
Patricia Hudak (Founder and CEO, Real World 101)
Kathy McKim (Vice President, External Affairs, AT&T)

A Night with Chip Conley (sold out, wait list accessible here)
Thursday, Nov. 19, 6 - 8 p.m.
The Citizen Hotel, 926 J St.

Speaker:
Chip Conley (Founder and CEO, Joie de Vivre Hospitality Company)

Entrepreneurship in Art and Music Industries
Friday, Nov. 20, 6 - 8 p.m.
The Verge Gallery, 1900 V St.

Speakers:
Laurie Pederson (Project Manager, Nehst Studios; and Executive Director, Capital Film Arts Alliance)
Beth Jones (Founder, Jay Jay Gallery)
William Bronston, M.D. (Founder and CEO, Tower of Youth)

Tickets can be purchased here. $15 students, $25 general admission, except for Thursday's event, which costs $75. View images 5 - 9 for additional free GEW events.

Candlelight vigil for gay marriage

2009-03-05T06:56:58Z

Hundreds of gays, lesbians and supporters lined the south steps of the State Capitol to recommit to the cause of fighting for equality Wednesday at around 5 p.m.

Organized by the nonprofit Equality Action NOW (which also helped organized the larger March 16 rally at the State Capitol), the people were there to tell the world that they want equality, and they want it now.

On the eve of the California Supreme Court hearing arguments on the validity of Prop. 8, the state amendment to ban same-sex marriages, the hundreds marched from the State Capitol to the steps of the Stanley Mosk Library and Courts Building.

The gathered held signs with slogans such as, “We are never going away,” "God does not discriminate, people do" and "What happened to equal rights for every citizen?

After hearing remarks from Pastor David Thompson of Westminster Presbyterian Church and an opening prayer by Reverend Lindi Ramsden of the Faith for Equality Coalition, the crowd held a candlelight vigil in a show of support for the freedom for all to marry.

"On the eve of justice, you've assembled here alongside crowds from 35 other cities in this state,” Thompson said, “and I'm here to say, I do support the freedom to marry be given to all people."

Event organizers then turned the attention of the crowd to recognize that Mariko Yamada, who represents California’s 8th District in the State Assembly, was in attendance. Then one organizer used her megaphone to lead the crowd in a call and response: "What do you want? Freedom! When do you want it? Now!"

"Tomorrow, [Legal Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) Shannon Minter and his team] are going to start the fight that has never been fought before," said longtime Sacramento resident and Equality Action NOW founder Tina Reynolds.

"Even though we're thinking it's about a 50/50 [chance]," she added, "I think that we're going to win because it's about being fair. If the California Supreme Court takes away our rights, they can easily take the rights away from every other minority."

Reynolds encouraged people to join the rally in San Francisco tomorrow where 100,000 people are expected to gather at the Supreme Court of California at 350 McAllister from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Beginning at 9 a.m. tomorrow, the court will also hear views over whether the 18,000 gay marriages performed in 2008 before November should be legally recognized if the ballot measure is upheld. Though the court could decide as early as tomorrow, they must make a decision in the next 90 days.

Jade Baranski, a 23-year-old who also works for Equality Action NOW, said that her organization has "given me a direct outlet to mobilize others in our community."

"Once the court decides,” she added, “we're either planning for a celebration, or a reactionary rally."

Though there's no rally planned for tomorrow, if anything occurs, "there will be a viral rally happening tomorrow," said Baranski.

Capsity Offices and Pangaea Cafe celebrate anniversary as part of "The Parks"

2009-08-06T03:22:53Z

Recently, the owners of Midtown businesses on J Street facing Marshall Park renamed their area The Bloc. Downtown, the owners of the businesses on 11th and H streets renamed their establishments The Retrolodge.

Now a group of Curtis Park businesses will rename themselves.

This Saturday, Gunther's Ice Cream, Pangaea Cafe and Capsity Offices will reintroduce the corner of 3rd and Franklin streets as "The Parks."

They want to call it "The Parks" because the area is located near Curtis Park, William Land Park, Tahoe Park and Oak Park, says Ricardo Robles, co-founder of Capsity Offices. From 1 to 3 p.m., the neighborhood will celebrate the one-year anniversary of Capsity Offices and Pangaea Cafe.

Gunther's, on the other hand, will turn 70 in April, and has been in its current location for 60 years. It is located across 3rd Street from Pangaea and Capsity.

Also opening next door to Pangaea and Capsity will be a salon and several other businesses, Robles said.

Before Rob Archie opened Pangaea Cafe, he spent four years running a college prep academy in Curtis Park. Then he left to play basketball for a year in Italy.

After experiencing the cafes in Italy, he wanted to fulfill his dream of opening up a similar place in Sacramento. Catering to a morning, noon and evening crowd, Archie opened Pangaea Cafe last July. His family owns the building.

"I love the community. It's just been an ongoing pleasure to just do business in Curtis Park," Archie said. "It's a very walkable area and people take pride in living in Curtis Park."

Capsity, which opened in Midtown last year as a co-working space, had been thinking of expanding into Curtis Park for several months. They recently made a deal with Archie, and are now in the process of revamping the space and moving in furniture.

When renovation is complete in September, three small private rooms upstairs, a conference room, and a Wi-Fi spot and laptop workspace downstairs will be available as co-working spaces. The original location will remain open as well.

"The economy played a major role," Robles said of Capsity's successes. "[In the last year, Capsity had] loyal clients [such as] entrepreneurs and the self-employed who needed the space to work."

"We want to push more people from Midtown over here," Robles added. The new office space will still hold the "productive, collaborative and fun" environment that it's known for, he explained.

"I feel like this is a very unique area," Archie said of the corner of 3rd and Franklin Streets. "You've got the neat little neighborhood, ice cream across the street from the cafe, entrepreneurs in the building, entertainment and different events."

Several weeks ago, Pangaea Cafe began serving Belgian beers on tap, becoming one of the few places in Sacramento to do so. They will be serving Affigem, Blanche de Brussels and St. Bernardus this Saturday, along with nachos, pulled pork sliders, and paninis.

Capsity will be serving Chick-fil-A, and hosting a chicken nugget eating contest. Gunther's will serve ice cream.

A possible attendee will be Pangaea's guest chef Josh Ploeg, a.k.a. "The Touring Vegan Chef," who serves a vegan dinner at Pangaea once a month. Josh will not be cooking a vegan dinner on Saturday, but those who would like updates on future dinners should e-mail pangaeajava@gmail.com.

Starting this year, the cafe will also be open later. Instead of closing at 7 p.m., they will be open until 10 or 11 p.m. on the weekends, Archie said.

"It's a cool draw for people to be able to reference everything that's happening here as a whole," Archie added. "We definitely want to come together with the businesses here and be recognized as The Parks."

The event will take place at 2743 Franklin Blvd.

Sacramento Country Day School to expand into the grid?

2009-04-12T03:43:13Z

What improvements can a high school make if already 100 percent of graduates are accepted to four-year colleges and universities? One answer might be to expand.

With the private school Loretto High School closing, Sacramento Country Day School might be an option for those who wish to purchase a quality education, given that the school prepares every student for college. Real estate agent John Banchero, who is marketing the Loretto property, said in a recent Sacramento Business Journal article that the best possible tenant for the Loretto property would be another high school.

"This [property] would be the one they would try to get their hands on" if a school wanted to expand, Banchero said to the Journal.

The article specified that one good candidate for the property could be Sacramento Country Day School, though Headmaster Steve Repsher wrote in to the Journal that he did not have "enough time to evaluate the idea" of buying the property.

Perhaps Repsher is still hoping Country Day will be able to rent the 50,000 square foot building at 2600 V Street, which was once the Newton Booth School — a large upgrade to their current 13,000 square foot facility.

The building was originally a public school which opened in 1921, according to an article from the Octagon, Country Day's Newspaper. Newton Booth School closed in 1976 due to the Field Act which forced schools to close if they were not up to earthquake codes. It was then converted into office buildings in the 1980s.

Jones and Stokes, an international environmental and natural resources consultant recently used the building, but they moved out over six months ago.

This historic site is one of the over 100 schools Country Day headmasters have looked at over the past 30 years, says another Octagon article which provides a history of Country Day's consideration of other possible sites.

Though quoted in Octagon as saying the discovery of the location was "beautiful," Repsher told Sacramento Press, "we are considering a property there but there is nothing final at this point. At this point it would be speculation."

"I would be happy to share the news if something firm becomes a reality," he added.

"Personally I have had no negative response, and I've talked to a number of people," said Newton Booth Neighborhood Association board member Richard (Bud) Halliday. "It would be a definite advantage for our neighborhood." The group meets once a month in the McClatchy Public Library the third Wednesday of each month.

"There are many in this neighborhood who attended the Newton Booth School," Halliday added.

The Newton Booth Neighborhood Association received a project notification April 1, and for those in the Newton Booth neighborhood, Halliday encourages people to email him with feedback about the project.

The following is from the Association's website:

Would you like this school in our neighborhood or would you rather not have it located here? What advantages would there be? What disadvantages?

Let the board members of the association know your feelings not later than April 17, 2009 so a timely response to the request for input can be made. E-mail responses to bud@newtonbooth.org or mail to Newton Booth Neighborhood Association; P.O. Box 161466 Sacramento CA 95816.

Washington Neighborhood Center continues, faces financial struggles

2009-08-17T21:00:27Z

Last week, The Sacramento Press wrote about local youth and hip-hop legend KRS-One spearheading a fundraiser for the Washington Neighborhood Center. Unfortunately, the event was not "well-attended enough on its own to make a significant dent in our financial burden," said the center's vice president Adria Banihashemi.

The center's financial problems have been building over the last five years, Banihashemi explained. One of the center's main donors, United Way, a budget-challenged non-profit itself, has sent the center significantly less money in the last few years.

But it wasn't one grant, person or event that caused the struggle for money, Banihashemi said.

"Lower attendance at events and reduced United Way contributions are both the result of an overall struggling economy," she added. "Many folks in Sacramento are just not donating or spending as much at events, and that really affects us."

The Washington Neighborhood Center first opened in 1952 as an outreach center for the Fremont Presbyterian Church. Since then, it has provided the Alkali Flat and Washington neighborhoods with educational, health, arts and cultural programs, with an emphasis on youth.

In the early 1980s, Banihashemi's grandfather Don Conley became the first coach of the center's boxing program. Under Conley's training, Sacramento boxer Loreto Garza won the World Boxing Association's light welterweight world title in 1990.

Before his death in 1998, local restaurant owner Sam Gordon (of Sam's Hof Brau) donated money to the center, making it the Sam Gordon Washington Neighborhood Center. Since that time, the center has seen very few individual donors.

Then in 2006, a severe rainstorm damaged the center's roof, library and computer center. The center operated for nearly a year without a roof or proper insulation, until Cesar Chavez Day in 2007.

On that particular day, the Maloof Sports and Entertainment organization and the Sacramento Kings renovated the entire facility, including the roof, the building's foundation and the electrical system. They also renovated the tutoring room, game room, kitchen, basketball court and boxing gym.

Currently-held programs at the center include the CSUS Barrio Art Program, where Sac State students work with young and old community members to create cultural works of art, a bi-weekly Aztec dance group and a daily training program in the boxing gym.

To run the facility at its full capacity -- internet, phones, electricity, program leader stipends, and loan payments -- the group needs to bring in about $3,000 per month, Banihashemi said. But since they have only been receiving about a third of this money, they are operating on a deficit and in danger of shutting down completely.

To cut costs, the center recently limited "drop-in" days, where students could come use free tutoring services and a computer lab, to two days per week. It's usually open Monday through Friday, from 4 to 8 p.m.

"We need a lot more volunteers giving supervision time during our open hours, more grant writers to help us secure larger chunks of funding, and regular events that are well-planned and well-attended so we have regular monthly income to pay our bills," Banihashemi added.

"We are being very creative right now with how we organize our programs to be the most efficient and we would love more involvement from community members to make these changes work."

"100 Years of Hosteling" celebration at The Sacramento Hostel

2009-08-27T02:21:32Z

Tuesday night over 150 people showed up at The Sacramento Hostel for Hosteling International's "100 Years of Hosteling" celebration. Along with free Leatherby's Creamery ice cream, the gatherers also enjoyed a hostel tour, silent auction and live jazz.

Special guest appearances were made by City Councilmember Ray Tretheway and former mayor Heather Fargo. Fargo was honored for her work saving the mansion with a plaque, a dedication ceremony and special "thank you."

Housed in a beautiful feat of architecture, the hostel resides in the semi-Victorian (with more geometric shapes than is customary in a Victorian) Llewelyn Williams Mansion built in 1885. After Williams' death, the mansion was bought in 1906, and made the first of three moves, from the corner of H and 10th streets, to the middle of the block of H Street between 10th and 11th streets.

There it was used as a funeral home until 1979, when the mansion was sold to developers who wanted to demolish the building to make way for a high-rise.

Years of lobbying to save the mansion paid off when in 1990, with the help of then-mayor Fargo and numerous others, a deal was made to move the building instead of destroying it. So in 1994, hundreds watched as the building was lifted off the ground and rolled across the street.

The mansion was restored, and in 1995 became a hostel. But in the years that followed, it was decided that the new City Hall needed to be built on the lot where the hostel resided.

So in 2002, large trucks once again moved the mansion back to its original location on the corner of H and 10th streets, where it resides now, only six feet from where it started.

Decked out in Victorian-style vest, coat, trousers and even top hat, hostel manager Steve Haynes explained the mansion's history on a tour Tuesday night. He also gave a description of the building's internal structure.

"The wood is all redwood, finished to look like mahogany, chandeliers are gas and electric and the wallpaper is painted over," he said. "Carvings of classical figures Saturn and Ops can be found in the dining room, and the atrium has a painted glass ceiling."

He also described the layout of the hostel. It has 80 beds in 21 rooms, "depending on what you call a room," he said.

Most of the rooms are "dorms" and have four to 10 bunks all priced at less than $50 per night, while seven private rooms, which range from $50 to $100 per night have only one bed. The most expensive room even has its own bathroom.

For those who would like to view the mansion, the hostel holds Second Saturday events, Haynes said. Besides housing international travelers, it also holds education programs, environmental programs and cooking programs for youth.

The hostel is located at 925 H St. Photographs of the mansion's latest move can be viewed here.

'Coexist? Comedy Tour' brings comedians and audiences together

2009-12-07T04:24:00Z

The "Coexist? Comedy Tour" is getting some national attention after more than two years of performing at a number of California comedy venues. About 600 people filled The Crest Theatre on Saturday to view a one-night-only performance that was taped live by filmmaker Larry Brand, producer of HBO's Assume the Position with Mr. Wuhl.

The Coexist Tour began with an everyday conversation between comedians Keith Lowell Jensen, an athiest, and Tapan Travedi, a Hindu. After speaking about religion, they realized that they were spiritual opposites -- Travedi believes everything is a god, while Jenson believes nothing is a god. They decided making jokes about their religious differences would make a good comedy tour.

Sid Heberger, manager of The Crest, started the night off by working the crowd with a few jokes of her own, introducing the comedians. More than two hours of religious (and not-so-religious) comedy ensued, beginning with Sammy Obeid (the Buddhist), who also acted as the group's host. Each comedian performed a 20-minute set.

Obeid recently won a number of Northern California comedy competitions, including the 2008 San Jose Improv Comedy Competition and the 2009 Vallejo Comedy Competition. He joked about everything from giving Buddhist presents to his girlfriend -- an empty box-- as well as his Buddhist belief in polygamy -- in moderation.

Tissa Hammi (the Muslim) took the stage next in a black hijab, or head covering, and large black coat, both of which she later discarded in a "strip tease" that still left her covered from neck to toes. Hammi ended her routine by performing an original song called "The Ramadan Song" and accompanying herself on keyboard.

With the same melody as Adam Sandler's "The Chanukah Song," it listed famous Muslims and the chorus ordered "put your turban on/it's time for Ramadan."

Mike Winfield, whose Comedy Central debut on Live at Gotham aired less than 24 hours before the show, left the audience in stitches. As the Christian, he told several jokes about his faith, but mostly poked fun at his love-hate relationship with his wife and made fun of himself, especially his trademark large teeth.

Moshe Kasher, the Jew, echoed Winfield's theme of self deprecation, describing his appearance as a "Gitler," a gay-looking Hitler. He pulled out an iPhone and read his five favorite negative comments about himself from a popular Youtube video of one of his stand-up routines.

Trivedi spent much of his routine explaining the differences between Hindus and Muslims. "(Muslims) are from Pakistan; we are from India," he said. "They don't eat pork; we don't eat beef. They are associated with 9/11, we are associated with 7-Eleven."

Jensen closed the night with "atheist comedy," which made fun of religion as a whole. By the end of the night, the diverse audience knew a little bit more about each other's religion.

"There are a lot of hopes riding on this recording," Trivedi said before the performance. "Let's hope people will like it a lot; my pie in the sky is that HBO will think it's cool and buy it."

Photo 1: Keith Lowell Jensen. Photo credit Kiny McCarrick.

Photo 2: Tapan Travedi, credit Tapan Travedi.

Mayor Kevin Johnson introduces "Rules of the Game" for new arena

2009-10-30T03:14:16Z

At a news conference Thursday, Mayor Kevin Johnson introduced his "Rules of the Game" plan to build an arena and entertainment complex in Sacramento. It was held on the 25th floor of the US Bank building downtown, featuring panoramic views of the skyline with Cal Expo and the Sacramento Railyards in the background.

Johnson's "rules" include coming up with a plan that doesn't depend on taxes, making sure the city is not a "stalking horse" for a deal elsewhere and utilizing experienced community members. He also announced that a task force will be established and that there will be an open call for proposals, with guidelines coming in the next few days.

"I think it's time to reinvigorate an arena discussion," Johnson said. "If you look out over Sacramento, it's clear that rebuilding Cal Expo cannot be the only option. We need a new sports and entertainment center."

Two weeks ago, after the NCAA deemed ARCO Arena outdated for an NCAA tournament, Johnson declared finding a new arena a "front-burner issue." He also has called a new arena part of a larger plan to revitalize Sacramento's economy.

Johnson said Thursday that the arena, host to more than 190 events last year, was not about the Maloofs or even the Kings.

"We've got to prove that we can build major projects here in Sacramento," he said. "I'm talking about an entertainment complex that lights up the next six blocks right outside of its boundaries, something that works hand in hand with transit, smart growth and green ambitions."

When asked about the Railyards as a potential site, Johnson said, "I have said all along that I would have loved to see an arena downtown and my favorite site was the Railyards. At the end of the day, it all boils down to 'How are you going to pay for it?' "

Johnson said he wants public input, adding that there will be a monthly events to discuss the complex.

"I challenge everyone to think big, and think about what great cities have done over the last 3,000 years," the mayor said. "Think about how we can join that list of great cities."

Please view a transcript of the speech here.

A Venue for all occasions

2010-02-13T03:31:31Z

Randy Paragary, Bob Simpson, and Rick and Earl Lobley opened Empire Event Center in 2004. It was almost alone on the R Street Corridor for four years, before being joined by, among others, Shady Lady Saloon, Magpie Catering, Burgers and Brew, Space 07 Salon and Top This Yogurt.

With all of these businesses opening in the past year, it was time for the space to undergo a facelift - to the tune of $2 million.

Well, not just a facelift - a complete change.

Today, all that remains of Empire are memories of past performers, including The Roots, Muse and David Garibaldi, Sacramento's own performance painter. According to its managers, from now on there will be no more 18-and-over club nights, meaning no more college Wednesdays and no more student discounts.

Over the last several weeks, Empire's former address, 1417 R Street, has undergone a quiet and speedy renovation. It reopened Thursday night as Sacramento's newest entertainment destination - Venue.

"R Street, this whole section (of Sacramento) is ready to explode," said Venue general manager Elvis Lindsey. "We wanted a little more classy of a nightclub."

He and assistant general manager Ben Benoit, Lobley's cousin, said they've been remodeling the place around the clock, for ten days. Workers were putting finishing touches on the interior of the 1,000-capacity club Thursday evening.

Among other new features are 1,000-plus feet of crown molding, freshly painted red walls, four colorful bars, chandeliers, a state-of-the-art light and sound system, three VIP areas with bottle service, a DJ booth and stage, and art that former Sacramento-based painter Jacob Patterson described as "punk rock meets Victoria's Secret."

Most of the staff is new, managers said, and Mosaic Salon has added a twist of glamor by styling female employees' hair.

Benoit drove 3,000 miles, from Miami, for Venue's opening.

"The green room is more conducive for a band to come and enjoy; (it's) just a nicer environment," he said, adding, "(Venue will) bring high quality bands to Sacramento that usually bypass the area."

Venue looks to hold 120 shows per year, said Benoit, starting Friday with Lake Tahoe-based, '90's cover band The Alternates. Though Venue's nights are all 21-and-over, during some musical performances, the venue will be open to all ages.

"Personally, as a music fan, I'm excited," said Barry Prickett, former SN&R music critic and Venue's publicist. "Why wait for a good thing?"

Benoit called Venue's speaker system, a Meyers Pro, one of the best in the industry.

Managers said the club usually will be open Thursdays through Sundays, with a different theme every night. Thursday will be a mash-up night featuring a DJ paired with a live drummer. Friday nights will feature a live band with a DJ, while Saturday nights will be a top-40 night with a "stylish, provocative" dress code enforced.

Sunday nights might be "hospitality night," said Prickett, adding that many facets of Venue are to be determined.

Aside from concerts and dance club nights, Venue's management hopes to open the space to "other performances," and special and corporate events.

Cover charge will start at $10, and bottle-service packages for 10 people will cost $300.

'Some Assembly Required' features vintage toys, brings back memories

2009-11-21T03:16:02Z

A 1950s Lionel train advertisement shows a father, mother, little girl and boy peering into a window display featuring a model train going through a city, over a bridge and into the mountains. The father appears to be the most interested -- head cocked, hand on his chin, ready to help his child build the toy train set.

An adjacent Lionel Train advertisement shows a father sitting on the ground assembling a train set, while his son sits in the background frowning.

California State Railroad Museum's "Some Assembly Required" exhibit, which opened today, featured a somewhat similar scene. Many families were in the museum, but the historical toy exhibit seemed to strike the strongest chord with older men.

Filled with erector sets, trolleys and wind-ups, the exhibit shows vintage toys from the 1870s to the 1960s. The pièce de résistance is a layout, complete with a working Lionel Train set, that looks like the window display of Bullock's department store in 1956 Los Angeles.

For Jeff Hall, a 54-year-old who was born in Los Angeles, the layout brought back a lot of memories.

"I had a Lionel train set and looked forward to putting it around the Christmas tree every year," he said. Hall, the father of four daughters, said he brought home a train set for his children one year, but it wasn't a big hit.

"They were into other things," he said. Two were interested in horses and the other two were more into sports.

It was a similar story for another father, John Curtis, who also grew up putting a train set around the Christmas tree. While his 4-year-old daughter Emily likes riding real trains, Curtis said she doesn't really play with toy trains.

"(Emily) likes to play on the Nintendo DS, she's big on Barbies and she's all about Play-Doh," Curtis said.

Jeff Allen, a CSRM volunteer docent in his 50s, said he played with nearly every toy in the exhibit when he was younger.

"It really gives you an idea of what toys were like. I remember playing with most of these," he said. "When I'm working around these toys, it's like I'm 4 years old."

Allen said he played with toy trains as a kid, and still has two sets of operational model trains. He said that his love of trains led him to become a docent, adding that working at the museum "is a kick" because he can be around trains.

In addition to "Some Assembly Required," the permanent display of toy trains on the third floor is a must-see. The exhibit shows the history of the toy train, nearly every train size available from Z scale (smallest) to G scale (largest), and interactive toy sets and layouts.

In keeping with the holiday spirit, the museum's first floor also features a working toy train chugging around a Christmas tree.

Those who seek an additional holiday-themed train experience can sign up for Santa's Steam Train, Nov. 27-29. The steam train departs from the Central Pacific Railroad Freight Depot adjacent to the museum and riders also have admittance to the museum and the 13th Annual Toy Train Holiday Show.

The annual show, on Thanksgiving weekend, features local hobbyists displaying their toy and model train layouts in the museum. Tickets for Santa's Steam Train are $15, $7 for ages 6-17, free ages 5 and younger. The train departs hourly from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

California State Railroad Museum, 125 I St., is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Museum admission is $9, $4 ages 6-17, free ages 5 and younger. "Some Assembly Required" runs until Feb. 20.

All photographs are of "Some Assembly Required," except for image 5, which shows the Christmas tree display on the first floor.