Outdoor activities

Students compete for National Poetry Recitation Contest

2010-03-12T03:37:22Z

Thousands of students across the country are bringing poetry to life by competing in this year's Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest.

This is the contest's fifth year, and it is growing rapidly, influencing thousands of high school students to learn and perform poetry.

Kristin Margolis, the California state contact from the California Arts Council, said that "there is an incredible demand for the program, with 300,000 participants nationwide this year."

"California has the most competing in the nation," Margolis said. "We will have 40,000 students from 27 counties, which is a big jump from the 24 counties that competed last year and 20 counties the year before that."

The program itself was founded to inspire high school students to read poetry and learn, not just from today's poets, but from many poets before the 20th century.

"It is really important to encourage students to pick the poem and find something that has meaning for them," Margolis said.

The National Recitation Contest begins in the classroom, where students memorize poems and compete within their schools through their ability to remember, connect and perform their chosen poems.

Winners from each school continue on to compete in county contests and then state and national finals, where a single winner is chosen.

Margolis explained that it is such a great program because it can start by a parent, student or teacher hearing about it and deciding to get an entire school involved. There are no boundaries to who can participate because, as Margolis said, it is open to all students, whether home-schooled or in overcrowded classrooms.

"What is unique is that the program can run completely paperless," Margolis said.

Though she did say that supplies and poems are given to many of the schools, the Poetry Out Loud website has all 600 poems from which students can choose, making the contest accessible to every student.

This allows for a wide variety of students, some with very little resources and others who are in every available advanced class to compete on the same footing, Margolis said.

The competition is composed of a very diverse group of people, Margolis said, many of whom relate to poetry through hip hop and slam poetry.

The students gain more than just the knowledge of poetry - they gain confidence, public speaking practice and, as Margolis pointed out, "the feeling they have done something that they never thought they could do."

"All of the students really get the poems in their hearts, and we hear that they remember them years later," Margolis said.

The California finals will be held fro 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday in the Senate Chambers of the Capitol. This will be the second year of the finals being held at the Capitol.

Competitors will arrive at the Capitol the night before, allowing students to meet one another and bond through their poetry. Margolis said this "really allows them to root for each other."

The 27 winners from this year's competing counties will be reciting three poems for the California state finals. One has to be pre-20th century, one 25 lines or less, and the last is the student's choice. Students will be judged on their physical presence, voice and articulation, appropriateness of dramatization, level of difficulty, evidence of understanding, overall performance and accuracy. The overall score will determine a winner, and in the case of a tie like last year, Margolis said that the students must recite one of their poems again.

One state winner will move on to the national finals, which will be held at the George Washington University Lisner Auditorium in Washington, D.C. Semifinal rounds will begin April 26, and the finals will be held the following evening. The event is free and open to the public.

This year's competition is being sponsored by Target, which is donating gift cards and books to state finals participants to accompany their Poetry Out Loud certificates of participation.

Each state winner will receive $200 and a paid trip to compete in Washington, D.C., as well as a $500 stipend for the winner's school to purchase poetry books. The runners-up will receive $100 and a $200 stipend for their schools' library.

The winner of the national finals will take home $50,000 in awards and school stipends.

Monday's competition is open to the public, though space is limited. Since it will take place in the Senate Chamber, there are seats, but Margolis said she expects the chamber to fill up to standing room only.

The good news is that the competition will also be aired live on the Cal Channel, and a link can be found at calchannel.com.

Photo:
2009 California State Champion Spencer Klavan

Endangered species in Sacramento

2010-03-05T03:05:25Z

The Valley Elderberry Longhorn Beetle, which thrives in Sacramento, is getting closer to being taken off the endangered species list.

The beetle was named after the Elderberry plant, which is the main habitat of the insect.

Al Donner, assistant field supervisor for external affairs from the Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Service, said the beetle was placed on the Federal Threatened List on Aug. 8, 1980. Since then, work has been done to help the beetles grow and repopulate.

Sacramento has proven to be a vital home for these creatures because Elderberry plants grow best in flood plain areas like the river beds of the Sacramento and American Rivers. The stability of these plants are essential for the beetle, since it spends the majority of its life growing beneath its bark.

The beetles grow to about one inch long with antennas that grow to close to the same length as their bodies. They are mainly black except for a little red and orange coloring on their wings, which is more apparent on males.

These small beetles have four developmental stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult.

"The beetles spends most of their lives in the Elderberry plant," Donner said. "They eat the inside of the stem and eventually drill their way out and mate, ending their life cycle."

The Elderberry beetles are known to reemerge from the bark beginning late March to June up to two years after they hatch, which is also when the Elderberry plant goes into bloom. The only evident trace these beetles leave behind is an exit hole in the stem of the plant.

"The critical way to find them is from stem 'sawdust' at the foot of the stem," Donner said.

The beetles will only pick plants to inhabit if they have a stem that is an inch thick or bigger. Their habitation of the plant does not hurt it. Donner said that the plant grows so quickly that it remains unharmed.

Over the past couple of decades, making sure the plant survived has been a main part of bringing the beetles' numbers back up. Donner said the loss of these plants and "natural human growth has diminished their habitat."

To help stop the loss of these insects and their habitat, Donner said that there has been the extensive planting of Elderberry plants and thousands of acres set aside by the federal and state governments, as well as by local cities and private organizations that have helped their growth.

Today, there are 4,600 acres along American River Parkway alone for the habitation of the insects. Though there is no way to know the exact number of beetles existing in areas such as this, protection of the land has increased their rate of survival.

There are also areas devoted to the beetles' habitats within the city. Near the railyards around G Street, there is a fenced-off area with a placard announcing the existence of the threatened species and that the habitat is to remain undisturbed.

Donner said that if these beetle habitats interfered with building, once the situation was assessed, relocation of the host plants has been a priority if the plant could not be worked into the development plans.

Overall, the beetles' success is significant, because in 1980, when they were placed on the endangered list, their habitat was diminished 50 percent in Sacramento and to extremes of 80-100 percent in places like San Joaquin.

The results have been so good over the past few years that on Feb. 14, 2007, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recommended that the beetle be taken off the endangered list.

"It's exciting," Donner said. "A proposal is being worked on to take them off the federal list by the end of the fiscal year."

Though it is a big process to officially remove the Elderberry Longhorn Beetle from the endangered list, Donner said that once the proposal is complete, they will officially submit it, which will open the issue to the public for comment, and after all that, everything will be made formal.

The Elderberry Longhorn Beetle has demonstrated that even an insect species can be saved from extinction.

Photos by:
US Fish & Wildlife Service photo by Meghan Gilbart, CSU Chico
1. Adult Female Elderberry Longhorn Beetle
2. Fresh Elderberry Longhorn Beetle exit hole plugged with wood shavings by soon-to-emerg beetle
3. Protected habitat near railyard on G Street. (photo by Sierra Barroza)

T-rex roams again at the Discovery Museum

2010-02-26T03:40:29Z

Families beware, a Tyrannosaurus rex is running loose at the Discovery Museum Science and Space Center this weekend.

As part of the museum's Gee Whiz Geology: An Exhibit About Rocks, Fossils and Dinosaurs that began Jan. 16, the museum is focusing this weekend's activity on the terrifying T-rex.

This featured exhibit is geared toward families with kids about 12 and younger, but there is fun for everyone, as visitors will begin their learning adventure tracking down the Tyrannosaurus rex footprints throughout the museum's grounds.

Families will learn about these huge creatures together as they move through the museum and interact with exhibits.

Beth Callahan, director of marketing and development for the museum, said that visitors can work on "search and find" worksheets to help learn more about each exhibit. These worksheets, or "discovery sheets," are geared for different age groups and will take visitors on a hands-on tour throughout the museum. She explained that at each stop guests will be able find information, answer questions about what they see and read, and learn together. As an added bonus, if visitors are able to answer every question right, they can receive a prize.

The main Gee Whiz Geology exhibit will focus more on the archaeological side of these creatures. Visitors will learn about different prehistoric eras through rocks and fossils and even have a chance to look at two different dinosaur remains on display.

Families can also create T-rex-related crafts.

"Craft activities get guests involved," Callahan said. "They can take home what they create to remind them of all that they learned."

Visitors are also encouraged to bring along a camera because the museum has some dinosaur costumes of all sizes that children can dress up in.

Though the Tyrannosaurus rex is just one of the many weekend activities created for the public, the Discovery Museum has many other great attractions once inside.

Along with the Gee Whiz Geology exhibit, the Discovery Museum offers a public planetarium, which according to Callahan is the only planetarium in Sacramento. During weekends, it is open to all ages, and the staff focuses on teaching about the night sky that can be seen from Sacramento back yards.

"We teach guests about the night sky as they can see it, so once home they can go in the yard, orient themselves, and look for what they learned about." Callahan said. "It's like a take-home assignment."

The museum also has a wildlife show where families can learn about specific animals. Visitors are able to see the animals up close and learn about them. Next month there will also be an opportunity to pet the animals, such as with Rabbit Day.

Weekend activities are always changing at the Discovery Museum. Callahan said there are two hands-on exhibits for kids planned for next month: an exciting Mammoth exhibit and Gold Panning Day.

More information about weekend activities can be found at thediscovery.org.

Tickets can be bought at the door, and general admission will get visitors into all exhibits and attractions.

The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and from noon to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday.

The Discovery Museum Science and Space Center is located at 3615 Auburn Blvd., and admissions range from $3-$6, depending on age and day.

Historic City Cemetery kicks off Beer Week

2010-02-22T05:26:44Z

To kick off Sacramento's Beer Week, the Old City Cemetery Committee conducted a tour of Sacramento brewers who are buried in Sacramento's Historic City Cemetery.

The tour began at 10 a.m. Saturday, with about 40 people gathered to learn about these historical beer makers.

The tour was guided by Dr. Bob LaPerriere, who shared his wealth of knowledge as we stopped at the brewers' graves throughout the beautiful cemetery.

It was interesting to learn that all but two of the brewers buried there were German by ancestry and most of these men interacted with each other, whether it was through their business investments, ownership or employment.

The first stop was at the grave site of Frank Ruhstaller, where we heard the history of the Buffalo Brewery and its founder Henry Grau. The grand brewery took up three city blocks, had its own electrical plant and shipped its product all over the world. Though it could not make a comeback after Prohibition, Ruhstaller and Grau's investment in the Buffalo Brewing Company helped support Sacramento's economy while it was in existence.

The tour continued on, telling the tales of people such Jacob Gebert of the Union Brewery; Lewis Keseberg, famous for surviving the Donner Party and part of the Phoenix Brewery; Martin Arenze of the Ohio Brewery; George Ochs of the Ohio Brewery and Saint Lewis brewery; Adolph Helbon, who became president of the Buffalo Brewery; Wendel Kerth of the Capital Brewery; and Christan Gruhler of the Columbus Brewery.

These men were accomplished and each has a story that LaPerriere described in-depth. It was interesting to hear how connected these men were to each other and how they came to the profession and built their businesses, many with great success.

During the tour, the group also learned about other famous men and women within the beautiful grounds. LaPerriere said that this new tour covers more of the cemetery than previous ones because the graves are located throughout the large cemetery.

He said that it took one week to develop the tour but that there is still much more to be learned about these men. The details and history provided during the two-hour tour kept everyone interested.

Though the Brewer's tour was offered only once, the Sacramento County Historical Society has put together a new book called "Sacramento Breweries" written by historian Ed Carroll. It covers the historical brewers and their lives in Sacramento. There will be a signing party Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. at the Colonial Theater, 3522 Stockton Blvd.

The Sacramento Historic City Cemetery offers tours throughout the year, many of which focus on events taking place in Sacramento. For more information, visit its website at www.oldcitycemetery.com.

Photos:

1. Dr. Bob LaPerrier addressing the tour group
2. Frank Ruhstaller 1846 - 1907
3. Wendel Kerth 1819 - 1892
4. George Orch 1822 - 1878
5. Buffalo Brewing Co. logo

Day at the Museum

2010-02-05T05:36:29Z

The doors to discovery will be open and waiting Saturday with Sacramento's 12th annual Museum Day.

Museum Day will open 26 of Sacramento's museums to the community at no charge from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The last guests will be admitted at 4 p.m. and all will close at 5 p.m.

This event is presented by the Sacramento Association of Museums, which promotes a large range of art, history, science and wildlife museums and exhibits.

Museum Day coordinator Delta Pick Mello said last year saw a record 80,000 participants at Museum Day. This year, depending on the weather,

Mello recommended that guests plan to visit only two or three museums on Saturday so they have time for parking and possible crowds.

"Places like there could be just as many visitors. Fairytale Town, Aerospace Museum of California, California State Railroad Museum and the Sacramento Zoo get the biggest crowds, so I encourage people to see exhibits they've never seen such as the Sacramento Historic City Cemetery, Museum of Medical History and the Sojourner Truth Multicultural Arts Museum," she said.

The large list of non-profit museums should give everyone the chance to enjoy a part of history and culture.

"This is a way to provide people, some who may not be able to afford it, access to museums and the right to learn about history," Mello said.

The Sacramento Association of Museums also recommends that visitors take the time to look over the Museum Day details, as well as the different Museums websites, before they attend on Saturday. All that information can be found on their website.

Museums participating in Museum Day 2010:

• Aerospace Museum of California
• California Automobile Museum
• California Foundry History Museum
• California State Military Museum
• California State Capitol Museum
• The California Museum
• California State Indian Museum
• California State Railroad Museum
• Crocker Art Museum
• Discovery Museum Science and Space Center
• Explorit Science Center (Davis)
• Fairytale Town
• Folsom History Museum
• Governor’s Mansion State Historic Park
• Heidrick Ag History Center (Woodland)
• Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park
• Museum of Medical History
• Old Sacramento Schoolhouse Museum
• Old Sacramento State Historic Park
• Sacramento Zoo
• Sacramento Historic City Cemetery
• Sacramento History Museum
• Sojourner Truth Multicultural Arts Museum
• Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park
• Wells Fargo History Museum (Old Sacramento and Downtown locations).

There will also be free shuttle buses provided to four of the museums.

Midtown Ice Rink Closing

2010-01-15T07:12:21Z

As the holidays come to a close, so does the Midtown Ice Skating Rink. Having opened on Nov. 20, Its last day will be Jan. 18.

The placement of the ice skating rink was new this year, having moved from St. Rose of Lima Park at Seventh and K streets because of the park's recent renovations.

This new location had some businesses worried about how it would affect them since the rink's placement closed down 20th Street between J and K and added strain on parking. Though the new location added a little more traffic congestion, the location has proven to be an overall success.

Aja Uranga-Foster from the Midtown Business Association reports that the popularity of the rink has exceeded their expectations, although the MBA will not have accurate numbers on how many people came to ice skate until after the rink is closed, she did say.

“The rink has been able to pay for itself, and by its closing on Monday it will overshoot its original targeted revenue by about 10 percent," she said.

The MBA calculated that at the end of December a little over 18,000 people came out to skate, and with a few days left they should continue to have good results if the weather holds.

Uranga-Foster was excited to report that most of the community has found it to be a positive attraction as well. She states that The MBA received a huge response from local residents who claim that the rink has “helped reinforce good feelings of the neighborhood," she said. Though not every resident is pleased with the rink's placement, the overall feeling has been a happy one.

Andrew Ekstrom, the development project manager for the MARRS building, said he feels that the rink has been “overall a very positive amenity for Midtown.” He believes that the rink alone has attracted between 20,000 and 30,000 more people to the area.

The surrounding businesses echo his enthusiasm for the ice rink. Joseph Jay, a manager at Pete’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, has seen an increase in families dining at the restaurant.

“The ice rink has caused some problems with parking, but it has brought in a lot of business on the weekends," he said.

Denim Spot owner Pete Hayes said he didn’t mind the congestion since he would rather have a parking issue than an empty street. In a way Hayes said he felt like having the ice skating rink placed in Midtown has allowed Sacramento to create their own version of Union Square.

"With the ice skating rink I have gotten a lot of walking traffic and curious shoppers," he said.

Hayes actually opened his store around the same time the ice skating rink went up.

“It is things like this that made me want to move my store to Midtown,” he said. “I wish they wouldn’t take it down.”

A few doors down at Luigi’s Slice, owner Linda Fuentes-Brida conveyed the same feeling.

“This is a very diverse community, and this was the key to bringing more families in, not just from Midtown, but from the surrounding areas,” she said.

The rink has even been fun for her employees since they have enjoyed going out and ice skating after work.

The next task will be the removal of the rink. Though it should only take about two weeks, the deadline for it to be cleared and the street reopened is Feb. 1.

The last day to enjoy the ice skating rink is Jan. 18. The rink will be open, rain or shine, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults, $5 for children and $2 for skate rental.