Instead of pursuing an ordinance to allow special permits for medical marijuana dispensary operations in the county, local business owners learned Thursday that county officials are taking steps to reinforce the current ban. “The Board of Supervisors is headed in a direction to reinforce a stance that the county does not permit medical marijuana dispensaries,” Leighann Moffitt, principal planner with the Sacramento County Planning Department said Thursday. A new section of the county zoning code is being proposed that specifically prohibits activity that violates federal or state law in any way. Moffitt spoke to local business owners as a featured guest at the Arden Arcade Business Coun

The region’s international award-winning Business Walk program arrives in Arden Arcade on Aug. 25, when volunteers will canvass local businesses to find out what’s happening with the economy and how conditions can be improved. The Arden Arcade Business Walk is presented by the Arden Arcade Business Council, Fulton Avenue Association and Sacramento County, in partnership with the Sacramento Metro Chamber and supported by the region’s Metro Pulse partnership. The business walks have won acclaim from international economic developers and most recently as an outstanding chamber program for strengthening local economies. “The County of Sacramento is dedicated to supporting the local businesse

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson said Thursday that he wants to start discussing two controversial ideas in 2011: merging the city and county, and the city incorporating the community of Arden Arcade. Johnson made his comments two days after voters rejected Measure D, a ballot measure to form a city of Arden Arcade. Johnson said he did not know whether Arden Arcade residents would like to stay in the unincorporated county or join the city of Sacramento. But he added that he “would like to have a conversation with them.” He mentioned that he did not support cityhood for Arden Arcade. “I think there’s a lot of reasons why being part of the city of Sacramento is a good thing,” Johnson said.

Seven people won an election to govern a city that doesn’t exist. Measure D, which would have incorporated Arden Arcade as a city, was overwhelmingly defeated in Tuesday’s elections by about 75 percent of the vote. Those who were elected to what would have been the Arden Arcade City Council now find themselves the victors in a race that no longer matters – but they say they still face the same problems that caused Measure D to be on the ballot without the means to solve them. “I think the issue remains the same, so going forward, we’re going to look at what to do,” said Mary Ose, who with more than 4,800 votes took the top spot in the city council elections. The election saw 21 candida

If late-night election reports are any indication, Arden Arcade will not be incorporated as a city. At midnight on election night, Measure D was losing 75 percent to 25 percent. There are, however, still “tens of thousands” of ballots to be counted countywide, said Brad Buyse, Sacramento County’s campaign services manager “I’m ecstatic,” said Measure D opponent Kristin Elser. If Measure D had passed, Arden Arcade would have been Sacramento County’s newest city, with a population comparable to Rocklin or Citrus Heights. “Measure D is going down in flames,” Elser said. “The fiscal viability just isn’t there. In this economy, sales tax is down everywhere.” Elser claimed there would be no

Check in here for hourly updates from Sacramento Press as we cover the election all over the city. Turnout was light this morning at Park Folsom Retirement Home on Wales Dr., Folsom.  Volunteers were ready to help voters. Photos by David Alvarez Kevin Johnson cast his vote at 11 a.m. at Pat Anderson Education Center at 2751 Wilmington Ave. After he voted, he commented on the World Series. "It was great ... when you're a Sacramento resident and you grow up in this community you root for the A's and the Giants and I can't think of any better prize on November 1st than the Giants clinching it on the road." Johnson added, "When I see people, my first question is, 'Did you vote?' If

The future of Arden Arcade’s relationship with Sacramento County is one of the most contentious local issues in the Nov. 2 election. Measure D asks voters to choose whether Arcade Arcade should leave the county and become a city. Two passionate campaigns have debated for months whether a 98,000-person Arden Arcade community should have a city government with a city council. The Sacramento Press is providing the following summary of three key subjects in the Arcade Arcade fight: a guide to the opposing campaigns, what the county’s financial relationship would be with a new city, and an exploration of campaign claims that the city of Sacramento wants to annex Arden Arcade. The proposed ci

Twenty-two people are running for City Council seats for a city that doesn’t exist. Seventeen of them turned out for a Wednesday night forum to discuss how they would govern the proposed city of Arden Arcade. But voters must first pass Measure D on the November ballot to create the city of Arden Arcade before the candidates can land a City Council job. The public will decide whether an area with about 98,000 people should split from Sacramento County and become its own city. The proposed city would consist of land bordered “on the west and north by the Sacramento city limits, on the north by Auburn Boulevard and the centerline of Winding Way, on the east by the centerline of Jacob Lane

Businesses in Arden Arcade will be surveyed Friday, Sept. 24, during the annual Arden Arcade Business Walk to check on local economic conditions. The Business Walks are part of a regional “best practices” strategy for business retention and expansion. Since 2007, this international award-winning strategy—called Metro Pulse—has logged face-to-face contacts of nearly 5,000 businesses. In 2009, the Metro Chamber assisted its partners on five Business Walks, and currently the 2010 schedule will double that figure. More than 40 participants are scheduled to visit more than 100 businesses along nine commercial corridors in the Arden Arcade district. Joining together to conduct the walk are the

This upcoming Saturday, February 7, 2009 from 6-10pm, Friends of Fulton-El Camino Recreation and Park District is having their Annual CRAB FEED in Howe Park, 2201 Cottage Way, Sacramento 95825. Tickets are $35 per person by 5pm Friday, February 6 or $40 at the door. Tickets may be purchased at the District office, 2201 Cottage Way, over the phone at 916-927-3802, or online at www.fecrecpark.com Funds raised from the ticket sales and the variety of Silent Auction and Raffle items contribute to children scholarships for programs offered by Fulton-El Camino Recreation and Park District. Programs include the summer Adventure Club, Ballet, Cheerleading, Soccer, Swim Team, Synchronized Swimming