Kim Mack said she decided to run for City Council District 2 because she saw a need that hasn’t been filled in her North Sacramento community: responsive leadership. That isn’t necessarily a dig at the current council member for the district, Mack said Tuesday – it’s a statement of purpose. Mack, 49, has a long career in government service under her belt, including campaign experience as a field organizer for Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign where she was responsible for campaign activities from Bakersfield to the Oregon border. Mack also worked on local campaigns including Ami Bera's recent run for the 3rd Congressional District and Richard Pan’s successful run for Assembly.

It’s no secret that the world’s population is growing by leaps and bounds. But not many of us can say that we know how much it’s really growing. Not many of us understand effects the human population explosion is having on our environment. And most importantly, it’s very hard to know what actions we can take in our own lives to become part of the solution, rather than part of the problem. One group of Sacramentans is shedding light on this discussion of, or lack thereof, what can be done about the world’s human population explosion. The Sierra Club, Mother Lode Chapter’s Committee for a Sustainable World Population is hosting a free premier of the award-winning film “Mother: Caring for

What is Liberation Permaculture? When posed this question, creative organizer Rafael Aguilera’s answer is amazing pasta sauce. “It’s not all about gardening. It’s about village alchemy. How do we identify who has needs or skills in our own neighborhoods and work together? Is some guy growing tomatoes and has too many while another guy down the street has an incredible recipe for pasta sauce?” And as simply as that, the concept of permaculture is boiled down. Bill Mollison, who is credited with helping develop permaculture as a systematic process in the 1970s defined it as “a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted and thoughtful observation rather than pro

Wow,...a local band does good and they have two shows coming up,..the friday show is sold out and there are two pairs of tickets for that night offered and one pair for thursday,..! Have your CAKE and help save our natural enviornment! Basically a fan of CAKE and the Earth/Sky donated these with the idea of bringing awareness and thoughts into education concerning the water and its place in our lives here in California. Here is a chance to create a song, poem, puppet show, recipe, dance, public document, photograph, painting, or anything that can be filtered in to an email will be accepted. Remember that The Friends of the River is putting this on and we need to be thankful for help he

Born in Brazil, Zuzuka Poderosa now resides in New York City where she is a big part of the Latin movement responsible for bringing Moombathon from the underground to the forefront. Zuzuka Poderosa is a sultry, unapologetic Brazilian dancehall vixen who spits Portugese rhymes over block rattling bass. Known as The Queen of Baile Funk, Zuzuka is also a DJ that packs New York City night clubs with Tropical Carioca funk, a street poet known worldwide, and a name to watch in the coming year.  Last year Zuzuka electrified Sol as part of the Global Hood Music series. Alongside DJ Righteous Trash, Zuzuka brought the spirit of Brazil and swagger of New York to the West Coast and had a blast doing

On Thursday, May 12th, 2011, the proposed Community Garden Ordinance was reviewed at the City’s Planning Commission Meeting. The discussion on community gardens was first presented to the Law and Legislation Committee in August of last year. Since then, it has moved forward due to general support for urban agriculture in Sacramento. The current ordinance is a proposition to amend the zoning law, which prohibits agriculture in residential or non-agriculture zones. The new amendment extends only to private property and does not apply to city-owned land. The public land issue has currently been tabled but is nevertheless pertinent to the future of sustainable urban agriculture. Let’s take a

Chants and cheers from nearly 800 concerned citizens filled the Downtown Sacramento streets on February 22 as the “Mommy Tsunami” protest walk finished its final leg from Caesar Chavez Park to the California State Capitol. The walk began on February 19 in Yuba City, where a group of Generation Y moms began a 60 mile journey to the Capitol in protest of Governor Jerry Brown’s proposed $1 billion budget cut to services for people with developmental disabilities. Participants, families, employees and volunteers from disability advocacy and support groups joined in the rally sporting bright red t-shirts baring a large target that read “A Budget Target Again?” Their message is that the propose

FUSION Ministries is hosting a free screening of "TONY"; the latest film by Invisible Children , and this is no normal indie film. There is a long-running conflict in in Africa by which Joseph Kony terrorizes 5 countries with soldiers who are children abducted from their homes and forced to fight. Invisible Children is an organization which defines themselves as a movement seeking to end this conflict and bring them home by rebuilding schools, educating future leaders, and providing jobs in northern Uganda. Their mission statement indicates their motivation to "redefine what it means to be an activist." "TONY" is the story of just one child rescued from this situation, but the film follo

The Sierra 2 Center for the Arts & Community invites everyone to a lively art competition that benefits the local and the global. On Friday, March 11th from 5:30 to 8:30pm the Sierra 2 Center presents the Best Friend Friday Art Contest, a competition that has solicited pieces of art from all over the Sacramento region. Artists were asked to submit a piece of art that reflected their unique interpretation of any aspect of life in Curtis Park or of the children of Belize. Curtis Park is a charming neighborhood of approximately 2500 households just south of downtown Sacramento, known for its lush canopy of trees, eclectic architecture, and sense of community. More than half of the 360,000 p

Three organizations have come together to create a new way to blend Sacramento’s thirst for innovative visual art with its desire to address the needs of the local and global community. On March 11th and March 26th, the Sierra 2 Center for the Arts and Community will join with Rise Up Belize! Advancement Through Education and the 10x10 Art Benefit Tour for three magical events. On Friday, March 11th from 5:30 - 8:30pm an Art Contest will be held during Best Friend Friday, Sierra 2 Center’s ongoing intermingling of social networking and community activism. All Sacramento area artists have been invited to submit work around two themes: “Life in Curtis Park” and “Children of Belize,” for whi

New Sacramento City Councilman Jay Schenirer said he wants to improve Sacramento’s neighborhoods. He’s approaching neighborhood groups because he believes local activism is essential for change. Schenirer, who represents 19 neighborhoods including Oak Park, Curtis Park and Brentwood, hosted a driving tour for The Sacramento Press on a rainy Friday. Neighborhood involvement was a topic that came up frequently as he talked about the troubles, successes and quirks of District 5. “People have been here a long time,” he said, as he drove around the Hollywood Park neighborhood. “They take a lot of pride. They have a good neighborhood association.” As Schenirer drove through South Oak Park, i

Q: How does a company that employs over 200 people, supports over 400 participants, works with over 100 businesses, and has been doing so for 58 years fly under the radar of most of Sacramento? A: Because, maintaining a strong and steady course doesn’t always get you noticed! Today I would like to introduce you to InAlliance, a successful nonprofit that is on a mission to build a more livable workable world by developing programs that support adults with developmental disabilities in the greater Sacramento area. In the 1950’s the world was a different place, and if you didn’t fit into the general idea of “normal,” you didn’t stand a strong chance of succeeding. This was especially true

More than 400 Harvey Milk admirers gathered Wednesday night at the Crest Theatre to watch the 2008 biopic "Milk." The event, entitled "Milk and Cookies," was part of a celebratory week leading up to the inaugural "Harvey Milk Day," which will take place Saturday. In 1977, Harvey Milk was elected to the San Fransisco Board of Supervisors, becoming the first openly gay man elected to public office in a major U.S. city. He was a leader in the gay rights movement and was murdered on Nov. 27, 1978. Last October, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed S.B. 572, establishing the day of remembrance to take place every May 22, Milk's birthday. The evening started with a VIP reception where milk and co

Organization leaders, educators, youth advisers and concerned parents met Tuesday at the Pannell Meadowview Community Center to hear Rayford Johnson speak on gang violence and the "thug" mentality. About 40 audience members came in from all over the Sacramento area to be a part of this presentation. This workshop was part two of six of the "Addressing Thug Life" workshop series held by the city of Sacramento and Faith Leaders Initiative. Johnson is a photojournalist-turned-youth correctional adviser. He is also a licensed minister, author of the book, Thug Mentality Exposed, and director of the anti-gang initiative website, thugexposed.org. Having spent time with inmates in California'

Sacramento environmental groups gathered Thursday night to recognize local leaders in sustainability and to raise funds for local environmental projects. Sustainable Sacramento was hosted by Pesticide Watch and Slow Food Sacramento. The event was held at Hot Italian Pizza and Panini Bar in midtown Sacramento. As attendees escaped the damp streets and persistent rain, they were greeted warmly by Paul S. Towers, state director of Pesticide Watch Education Fund, and Slow Food Sacramento’s Kathy Les. Hot Italian co-owner Fabrizio Cercatore poured glasses of red wine and brought out a variety of pizzas for guests to enjoy. Pesticide Watch, a statewide organization based in Sacramento, seeks t

Activists for health care reform gathered in front of the Blue Cross building across from the Capitol Tuesday. Amidst cries of "Blue Cross, you're no good; treat the people like you should," the 100 people in attendance marched in a wide oval on the sidewalk. After a half hour of alternating rallying cheers, Laurie Comstock was invited to speak to the crowd. She told her personal story of how the health care system impacted her. "I lost my health care in August when it almost doubled from $260 to $450," Comstock said over the megaphone. "It became too much for me to afford, so I had to drop it." After her speech, organizer Lino Pedres of SEIU read a new policy drafted for Blue Cross and

  Ongoing: African American Currents: Contemporary Art from the Bank of America Corporate Collection Art Exhibit Tuesday - Friday 12 Noon to 6 PM; Saturday 10 AM to 5 PM through March 28, 2009. 40 Acres Art Gallery 3428 3rd Ave Sacramento, CA (916) 456-5080 http://www.40acresartgallery.org Featuring 75 works of art from the world-renowned Bank of America corporate collection. The exhibit includes work by artists Jean Michel Basquiat, Lorna Simpson, Martin Puryear, Sam Gilliam, Faith Ringgold and Beverly Buchanan.   Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition: The Way We Worked Through May 17, 2009 10 AM - 5 PM Admission: Adults: $8.00; Ages 6-17: $3.00; 5 and under: Free California State Railroa