Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "capitol mall"

Downtown Sacramento Christmas Lights Photos

2011-12-23T20:57:51Z

It’s that special time of year on Capitol Mall and Old Sacramento, Christmas lights are up inviting people to walk a few blocks and the Capitol Christmas Trees decked out in all its splendor. Over the last several years, it appears as if more lights have gone up to enrich the overall experience as an inviting destination to visit and enjoy. The Wells Fargo Center has done a fantastic job with a beautiful tree in the lobby and twinkling lights inside and out.

Merry Christmas!

Disclosure: Read more at: http://livinginurbansac.blogspot.com/ or http://zwahlenimages.com/blog/

Capitol Mall design competition winners announced

2011-11-10T07:35:37Z

A pair of landscape architects, including a Sacramento native, took home first place in the Catalyst Capitol Mall Design Competition with a vision of turning the corridor from Tower Bridge to the Capitol into a reborn urban forest.

The competition was put on by the city of Sacramento, the American Institute of Architects and other local organizations, including the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, to help gather ideas to transform Capitol Mall after the state handed it over to city control in 2006.

The winners were announced at an awards ceremony Wednesday night at the Wells Fargo building at 400 Capitol Mall. First place received a $20,000 prize, second place received $10,000 and third place received $5,000.

“We wanted to look at this ecologically,” said Kimberly Garza, who along with Andrew ten Brink submitted the winning design, called Sacramento's Capitol Canopy. “We looked at the current state of the urban canopy, and many of these trees are reaching the end of their lifespans. There needs to be a system to address that, but in a smart way that unfolds across the city.”

Garza grew up in Sacramento, attending high school in Natomas before graduating with a degree in landscape architecture from UC Berkeley. She then went on to Harvard, where she met ten Brink. She currently works in Somerville, Mass., and ten Brink works in New York.

“I was very familiar with the city of Sacramento, and that was what first excited me about the project,” Garza said. “Our project challenges the traditional tree mall design that you typically see.”

Three different plant cultures are envisioned in the design: a pine forest, oak woodlands and a riparian section up against the river.

The design includes a demonstration area with WiFi around the front of the Capitol, a family-friendly gathering area closer to the river with interactive features for kids and a riverfront promenade.

As Capitol Mall nears the Crocker Art Museum, the design includes a sculpture park, and near Interstate 5, a small amphitheater.

“We stayed away from an infrastructure overhaul, and even though there are lots of trees, we made sure to keep the visual corridor from the bridge to the Capitol,” Garza said.

The second-place winner was a four-person team from San Francisco, which submitted a design called River City Promenade.

Geoffrey Barton, an architectural designer on the team, said they took advantage of many of the existing structures and looked to increase transit connectivity, including bicycle lanes and adding a bicycle trail.

To view the winning designs, including the third-place prize and four honorable mention prizes, click here.

One of the honorable mention winners, Sam Wolfgram, received extra recognition by winning the public vote with more than half of the 300 votes submitted through the Catalyst website. His design is called Connect + Preserve.

Wolfgram moved to Sacramento about three years ago from Savannah, Ga., and he said the similarity in the two cities’ grid systems inspired him to bring more bicycle connectivity to the Capitol Mall area.

“I’m also an avid music-goer, and that’s kind of my favorite thing to do in Midtown,” he said. “I designed this map on the front page of my proposal that could be like a music or arts festival map.”

Wolfgram said his design would allow Sacramento to host a decent-sized music festival.

He said he would also add parallel parking to Capitol Mall, which would encourage people to park in front of businesses as well as give it a feel consistent with other areas in the city.

City Councilman Steve Cohn, long a proponent of revamping Capitol Mall, said Wednesday that he was happy that more than 40 professional submissions came in from all over the world.

“This is our signature street,” he said. “It’s probably the most famous street in Sacramento, it’s got the best views on either end with the Capitol and Tower Bridge, and yet any given day, there’s hardly anyone out on the street ... It’s a space that could be so much more.”

Cohn added that bridges across Interstate 5 are currently in the early stages, and that will help connect Old Sacramento – where most tourists go – to other parts of the city via Capitol Mall.

He also said streetcars will eventually be built and will help increase transportation efficiency around Capitol Mall, though not directly on it.

Kris Barkley, competition adviser to the city on behalf of the American Institute of Architects, said that having ideas before gathering the money to finance them is the key, and the Catalyst Capitol Mall Design Competition is the first step in what will eventually be a totally redone corridor that historically served as the gateway to the city.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

Capitol Mall design competition winners to be announced Nov. 9

2011-10-18T01:16:33Z

An array of designs submitted as part of the Catalyst Capitol Mall Design Competition in an effort to spark a “big idea” for future enhancement of the corridor from Tower Bridge to 10th Street were reviewed by a jury Oct. 7, and winners will be announced Nov. 9.

While the winner can’t yet be revealed, Kris Barkley, competition adviser to the city on behalf of the American Institute of Architects, described some key assets of the winning proposal.

“The first-place winner, I think, is really, really focused on what I think the people of Sacramento are feeling will work there,” he said. “It’s a tree-centered development that improves the urban canopy we have in Sacramento and brings it more fully into Capitol Mall.”

The competition began earlier this year and is intended to redesign the section of Capitol Mall from Tower Bridge to 10th Street after it was returned to city ownership by the state in 2006.

The first-place design will be awarded $20,000, with $10,000 for second place and $5,000 for third place.

An entrance fee of $200 per design was charged, which covered part of the cost. The total competition budget was $66,500.

With the ongoing economic crisis, Barkley said one aspect any successful design would have is the ability to be built in phases.

“They can be accomplished in smaller chunks to create an overall master plan over a period of years,” he said. “That way, the city can ease into it slowly as funds are available.”

The 48 designs that met the criteria, which can be viewed here, include a wide range of ideas.

One involves removing the center median, moving traffic lanes closer together and widening the existing sidewalks. Another envisions constructing a raised grass walkway, and still others call for the construction of iconic buildings used for myriad purposes.

Barkley said the second-place design divides Capitol Mall into different zones, with some being open plazas as public space and others being quieter.

One of the jurors in the decision-making process was Sacramento Urban Design Manager Bill Crouch, who said the field of entries was varied and made up of quality designs.

“We got a lot of really good, creative submittals,” he said. “There wasn’t one idea that was repeated over and over again.”

For fairness, Crouch said, judging criteria was set from the beginning and applied equally to all submissions, and each submission had a number attached to it instead of a firm so no juror would know whose project he or she was looking at, and therefore would judge it only on the quality.

“I think the public will be really impressed when the winners are announced and there’s an opportunity to view them,” he said. “The public should be encouraged that in a down economic climate, there’s so much international interest. The designs came from all over, and I think that’s a compliment to Sacramento.”

Designs came from all six inhabited continents, including countries as diverse as Iran and Vietnam.

Crouch added that the decision-making process took the better part of a day – even after jurors had reviewed the designs – but by the end, there was a general consensus on which projects deserved first, second and third prize.

The jury was made up of three internationally known design professionals, Crouch, a representative from the state and a Capitol Mall District representative. To view the jurors’ biographies, click here.

“I’m excited that there was interest from all over the world and that we had that number of submissions,” said City Councilman Steve Cohn. “I can’t discuss personal observations because I haven’t had a chance to look at them, but I understand from city staff that we got some very high-quality submittals.”

Cohn added that he looks forward to getting a vision for what the Capitol Mall corridor – including branching off to the Crocker Art Museum and Westfield Downtown Plaza – will look like and start making steps toward realizing that vision.

Other details of the winning designs will not be released before the Nov. 9 announcement, said Marika Rose, spokeswoman for the competition.

The announcements will be made at the Wells Fargo Center, 400 Capitol Mall, in an event that is open to the public, with ticket prices of $25.

“There will be a video presentation to highlight the winners and explain why they were chosen,” Rose said, adding that the video will also give history of Capitol Mall, which was originally considered the gateway to the city.

Members of the pubic can also vote for their favorite design through the Catalyst website.

“I think it’s always interesting to see what comes out of the public viewing of things and makes the process more transparent,” Barkley said. “Anyone can get in and see what’s happening, and it helps them see how the winners were selected.”

Lisa Martinez, marketing director for the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, said the designs that DSP staffers have had the chance to review look promising.

“We haven’t had a chance to really be able to review every single one of the entries, but from just the few we’ve looked at, there are a lot of great ideas and a lot of creativity coming out,” she said.

Rose described the whole process as smooth.

“It was a pleasure for everyone to work on,” she said. “It was very little investment for the city, and they’ll get a great return on phase-able designs.”

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

Dancers flash mob Capitol Mall

2011-09-15T23:20:15Z

More than 100 downtown workers took part in a flash mob on Capitol Mall at Sixth Street Thursday afternoon that saw choreographed dancing to various songs during the farmers market.

Kam Grant, a nearby worker, said she had fun during the approximately four-minute dance session.

“It’s basically to help promote the Capitol Mall district and promote the businesses here on Capitol Mall,” she said

Practicing was done in small groups, with Grant’s group holding four hour-long practices before Thursday.

Capitol Mall flash mob from Brandon Darnell on Vimeo.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

Capitol Mall design project getting worldwide attention

2011-09-15T23:10:52Z

More than 70 design entries have been submitted for the Capitol Mall design competition to redo the section of the street west of the Capitol building, and organizers said Thursday that they expect to get up to a total of between 150 and 200 over the next couple of weeks.

The competition’s goal is to draw interest from international designers, architects and urban planners as well as from locals, with the winner taking home a $20,000 prize.

“We’ve been really pleased with the turnout,” said Kristopher Barkley of the American Institute of Architects Central Valley Chapter, which is advising the city on the competition.

He added that the 70 entries have come from all six inhabited continents, and submissions have come from places as far-flung as Iran and Vietnam.

“It puts a spotlight on Sacramento,” said Maurice Chaney, a spokesman for the city. “People throughout the world can really bring some good ideas to revitalize and bring some good energy to Capitol mall.”

Those ideas, however, won’t translate to construction anytime soon.

“This is sort of an idea-gathering type of event,” Chaney said. “Based on that, we can see what would be implementable in a short period of time or long-term. At this point, this is the first of many steps to redesign Capitol Mall.”

Barkley said there is still time for people to enter the competition, with the deadline for submissions being Sept. 29.

“A lot of people wait closer to the deadline to turn in, so we are expecting more to come,” he said. “It’s exciting how far it’s reaching. It’s really getting out there and bringing in a lot of entries.”

Anyone can submit a design – large or small – to fit the parameters of the competition, which are outlined on the competition’s website.

The competition came about when the state returned control of the portion of Capitol Mall between Tower Bridge and the Capitol to the city five years ago.

“I think it’s a really exciting time for Sacramento,” Barkley said. “Even though we’re in a recession, it’s these kinds of positive things that will move us forward and take us out of it into the future.”

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

Third annual Sacramento 9/11 Memorial Climb includes new 5K run

2011-09-02T06:11:10Z

The 10-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks is coming up, and throughout the country there will be memorials honoring the dead, but Sacramento firefighters ask that locals take the opportunity to come out and run a 5K race for a good cause.

Through a partnership between various Sacramento area Fire Departments, the Sacramento Police Department, the Sheriff’s Department and more than 2,000 local volunteers, a 5K run/walk has been organized as an addition to their third annual 9/11 Memorial Climb, in which 343 firefighters – the number of New York firefighters killed on 9/11 – climb the Renaissance Tower in downtown Sacramento to honor fallen firefighters.

“It’s very personal for the firefighters. You have to be a firefighter to do the climb, and that’s one of the reasons the why the 5K run was developed,” said volunteer Karen Montgomery, a history and geography teacher at Rocklin High School.

“There are so many other people that want to pay tribute to the fallen firefighters and want to be a part of this memorial,” she added, “so it’s a way of preserving the climb just for the firefighters and then having another way of honoring the fallen.”

To take part in the 5K run/walk, it costs $30 to register through Fleet Feet Sports, 2311 J St. Proceeds for the run will go to the Sacramento Area Firefighters Widows and Orphans Fund.

Fleet Feet Sports will coordinate the run/walk. Organizers will provide timers for the racers to carry, and Fleet Feed will track the results of the run.

On Sept. 11 at 8 a.m., 343 Sacramento firefighters dressed in their fire gear will ascend the stairs of the Renaissance Tower, which is 28 stories high.

They will climb the stairs of the building four times in order to match the height of the Twin Towers, which stood at 110 stories high. Each firefighter will carry a name plaque of a fallen firefighter. There will be a Twin Towers memorial at the end of the climb for the firefighters to leave the names of those who perished.

At 9:11 a.m., the 5K run/walk will begin at Capitol Mall between fifth and seventh streets. There will be two waves of participants, according Montgomery. People who want to run will go first. The second wave of participants who want to walk will follow at 9:21 a.m.

Local Celtic band Stout Rebellion will be performing during the run/walk.

For non-firefighters, a pre-climb event will be held Sept. 9 in which Sacramento firefighters have invited Good Day Sacramento to preview their climb at The Renaissance Tower.

The preview will also include a performance by pop singer Anna Nalick. Her song “Breathe (2 a.m.) was a radio hit in 2005. She will be in the Good Day Sacramento studio promoting the run.

Nalick is also set to perform at the Tribute in the Park concert after the 5K run Sept. 11 beginning at 10 a.m. Other acts set to take the stage include the country band 27 Outlaws. The singer and guitarist Joel Van Horne of the indie alternative rock band, Carbon Choir will also perform.

“When you lose a firefighter, it’s obviously a great impact, but when you lose 343 in one day, it’s overwhelming,” said Captain Tony Peck, spokesperson for the Sacramento Fire Department.

“And to think they were doing what we do every day. It’s a stark reminder that although we never want to make that ultimate sacrifice – it’s a reminder that we’re in a line a work where that can happen. It’s very moving for us when 343 are lost in one day and had no idea it was going to happen to them,” Peck said.

At the end of the run, participants will be given a flag, and they will be asked to go to the Capitol and place the flag on the lawn. 2,997 flags will be distributed to symbolize all the Americans who died on Sept. 11.

“As a history teacher and wife of a firefighter, I have a different perspective,” Montgomery said. Historically, it’s important for us to remember these major events and sacrifices that people make. But also, it’s important for our students – our younger generation – to understand what it’s like to live in a post-9/11 world. The events of 9/11 have affected us dramatically. The way we live our everyday lives has really been impacted by security measures that followed 9/11.”

For more information on the 9/11 Memorial Run/Walk, click here.

Design competition to shape Capitol Mall

2011-05-30T20:12:14Z

The city of Sacramento is looking for a few good designers, urban planners, architects and artists to submit their ideas to revamp Capitol Mall, between Tower Bridge and Ninth Street. The juried competition is expected to draw international attention.

“Since the state turned Capitol Mall over to the city five years ago, there’s a growing impetus to do something with that space and get it activated,” said Chris Barkley of the American Institute of Architects Central Valley Chapter, the competition adviser to the city.

Stakeholders in the area have been meeting over the past five years and decided to put out a call for ideas to make Capitol Mall the significant street it once was, according to a brief* on the project.

According to the brief, Capitol Mall was the gateway to Sacramento from 1911 until the freeways arrived in the 1960s, and it then became crowded with office buildings that lack good access to common areas.

The purpose of the competition is to gather ideas on what can be done with the space, and participants are urged to be creative. Barkley said some lanes of traffic can be eliminated, creating either broader sidewalks for boulevarding or larger medians where public art or a memorial could be installed – or any number of other ideas.

“We’re looking for some really big ideas the community can get behind,” he said. “Funds are really tight right now, but if we have a good idea of what we want moving forward, then we can seek ways to fund it.”

The competition is expected to be approved at a City Council meeting in early July. After that, it will be announced to the international design community so it won’t be limited to locals.

One of the key factors many designers look at before entering a competition like this, according to Barkley, is who makes up the jury panel for judging it.

“We’re going to have a jury of nationally and internationally known design professionals,” he said. “We’re currently putting together a list of names. Submittees generally make their decisions about whether they will submit based on who will be reviewing the work.”

When the competition is opened for submissions, resources such as architectural drawings and restrictions – including the need to keep a visible corridor to the Capitol – will be posted online as references for people who wish to submit.

Barkley said links to the design competition will be posted to the city’s website as well as the AIA Central Valley Chapter website.

People with ideas will have about a month and a half to submit them, after which there will likely be a gala reception in September, Barkley said.

Ron Vrilakas, principal architect at Vrilakas Architects in Midtown, said it’s an interesting project that would be hard for any Sacramento architects or designers to look at without considering the possibilities.

“I do think (Capitol Mall) is ripe for some in terms of its urban design qualities,” he said. “In general terms, I think what is lacking on Capitol Mall is people. We need a reason for people to be there other than if they are just passing in a vehicle.”

Vrilakas said that will be the biggest problem to overcome, but also a key part of any successful project.

“It’s not an easy thing, but it’s probably the single biggest thing it needs. It’s not necessarily just about art objects,” he added.

Referencing the east side of the Capitol, Vrilakas mentioned an earlier attempt at a similar concept in the early 2000s from 15th Street to 17th Street.

“They had a fresh shot at how to make it a meaningful experience as part of the fabric of the city’s core,” he said. “They put art in a grassy area and failed miserably to do anything meaningful. It’s a lot harder than someone would think.”

An example of success, he said, is San Francisco’s Embarcadero in front of the Ferry Building.

Before the redesign, he said there was an elevated freeway and the Ferry Building was just a shell. Today, however, it is a destination for tourists and locals alike.

“It was thought out in a very complex manner and brought people in through a lot of different ways,” Vrilakas said. “It was not any one thing – you have a lot of reasons to go down there.”

Local businessman Chris Nestor, who owns House Kitchen & Bar at 555 Capitol Mall as well as Ink Eats & Drinks, 2730 N St., said he would love to see more foot traffic and reasons to visit Capitol Mall.

“There’s such an incredible view. It’s a shame it’s underutilized,” he said. “Once everyone leaves the buildings (for work), there’s nothing down there to draw anyone.”

He added that he would like to see more events such as parades, a New Year’s ball drop and Christmas lighting on the street, as well as making use of the central median.

“I’ve suggested some large artwork, unique benches – things like that,” he said. “I also think we need more family events – anything to get people down there to walk that corridor. It’s kind of a waste of median space out there, and more people would definitely be conducive to our business.”

*Editor’s note: Formatting irregularities in the brief linked here are due to file conversion. They are not present in the original document from officials.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

Tower Bridge turns 75

2010-12-15T01:41:29Z

One of Sacramento’s iconic landmarks, Tower Bridge, celebrates its 75th anniversary Wednesday.

At its inauguration on Dec. 15, 1935, the opening was heralded with the release of about 100 homing pigeons, who carried the news throughout the state.

Although it’s now a lot easier to spread news, Caltrans spokesman Mike Dinger said the bridge operates with the same basic equipment it has for the past three quarters of a century.

“We’ve made some upgrades for safety, but it’s almost all the original equipment,” he said.

Bridge construction began in July of 1934, using some of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal funds for the project, which was estimated to cost $700,000. The final price came in at $994,000.

That price, in today’s dollars, would be $50 million - $60 million, Dinger said, adding that today’s monthly maintenance costs come in at about $24,000.

The project was supposed to be done in November of 1935, but weather pushed the completion date to mid-December.

“They had a really heavy winter that year, and work got delayed,” said Rich Newell, a senior mechanical engineer for Caltrans.

Tower Bridge replaced a bridge on the same spot that had been constructed in 1910 by the Sacramento Northern Railroad, according to a 1936 issue of California Highways and Public Works.

That bridge had been a swinging steel drawbridge, and by the 1930s, it couldn’t handle the amount of traffic efficiently.

Newell said Tower Bridge was built to relieve traffic congestion, which was attributed to choking off commerce from Sacramento during the Great Depression.

According to the 1936 California Highways and Public Works article, in the 25 years that the old bridge had been in use, automobile traffic increased 700 percent in volume and 500 percent in speed, making the cantilevered roadways inadequate.

During construction of the current span, about 1,500 jobs were generated, and all the materials came from California, Dinger and Newell said.

The metal “skin” over the steel frame on the towers was designed to give it an art deco feel, Newell said.

When the bridge opened, it was painted a silver color to represent aluminum, and was later painted “an unfortunate shade of ochre” before being painted the current gold color in the early 2000s, said Bridge Operator Scott Bennett, who has been working on the bridge for about a decade.

The railroad stopped using the bridge in the 1960s, according to Dinger.

Dinger added that the bridge – about 730 feet long – is technically State Route 275, the shortest state highway in California.

Bennett said he raises the bridge about four times per day, but it varies based on river traffic.

When the bridge is raised and lowered – traveling about 1 foot per second – about 5,000,000 pounds are in motion, and it’s all accomplished by the two 100-horsepower electric motors in the control room between the towers.

If electric power goes out, there are backups in place.

Cameras – that Bennett uses to ensure traffic is clear of the bridge – are backed up by the original periscopes in the control room and mirrors on the outside edges of the span. An original 1930s gasoline engine can handle all the heavy lifting.

The bridge’s birthday will be celebrated by Caltrans officials, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson and West Sacramento Mayor Chris Cabaldon from 9 - 10 a.m. Wednesday on Promenade Circle behind the nearby Embassy Suites.

At about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, as part of the anniversary celebration, the bridge will be raised to allow the sailing ship “Hawaiian Chieftain” to pass. Bennett said the ship gives rides from Old Sacramento for about three months each year.

“It’s been 75 years, and it’s still doing fine,” Newman said. “It’s a testament to the original engineers.”

Exterior and historic photos courtesy Caltrans. Control room photos by Brandon Darnell, staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Historical reference documents provided by the Center for Sacramento History.

Capitol Mall Almost Aglow

2010-11-30T06:42:17Z

I arrived at Capitol Mall around 5:30 this evening and had to really make sure I wasn't missing the 22,450 LED lights that were to be on the towers between 1st and 7th Streets.

US Bank was the most photogenic so I captured scenes there, near and far.

I'm guessing perhaps there were technical difficulties with getting the other buildings lit. All was not lost!

Here's what I saw:

The front of US Bank is very eye-catching.

To the left of the Christmas tree is a reflection of the art outside.

Bank of the West dressed in Christmas red and green and white lights on the trees at its entry (below).

SacPress Photos | Kati Garner

Capitol Events this week

2010-09-17T22:45:26Z

Saturday, Sept. 18
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. The Shriners Hospital for Children presents the Capitol Concours d'Elegance, a rare and classic automobile show at the Capitol Mall. All proceeds will go to the Shriners Hospital. About 1,000 people are expected to attend.

Sunday, Sept. 19
9 a.m. - 1 p.m. The Polycystic Kidney Foundation hosts the Sacramento Walk for PKD starting from the South Steps of the Capitol. Donations go toward finding treatments and cures. Around 300 people are expected to attend.

Capitol Events for this week

2010-09-03T01:58:54Z

Saturday, Sept. 4
9 a.m. - 9 p.m. TheCall Sacramento will have a prayer gathering and rally with “worship, fasting, prayer and repentance” beginning at the Capitol Mall and finishing on the West Steps of the Capitol. About 50,000 are expected to attend.

Country in the Park full of great music, low on beer

2010-09-02T01:28:17Z

It was a sea of cut-off shorts, cowboy hats, and overalls at Capitol Mall on Sunday afternoon for Country in the Park 2010.

KNCI 105.1 managed to turn the intersection on Capitol Mall and Fifth Streets into a country music venue for the day. The gated-off intersection was filled with an estimated 11,000-12,000 country music fans, making this year one of the biggest in it’s 11-year existence, according to Mark Evans, program director at KHTK and KNCI Sacramento.

Due to budget cuts Gibson Ranch, where the concert is normally held, was unable to rent out the park to KNCI this year.

The singing of the national anthem and “God Bless America” with help from the crowd kicked off the day on a high and patriotic note.

Whiskey Dawn took the stage first, setting the bar high for an impressive lineup of talented country stars. Others included Sunny Sweeney, Eli Young Band, Jack Ingram and Dierks Bentley.

The day was close to perfect except for a minor upset when the beer taps ran dry about an hour before Bentley took the stage.

As part of the deal to hold the event downtown this year, the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau ran and kept all proceeds from alcohol sales.

“I know they had planned on a bigger supply than had been gone through in previous years, but (for whatever reason), it was an enormous beer-drinking crowd that showed up,” Evans said.

Alcohol tickets were sold in advance at different booths than where the alcohol was actually served, and many people purchased multiple tickets to avoid waiting in lengthy lines.

“How is it possible to run out of beer at a country concert, of all places?” asked one concert attendee, Karley Spaulding, referring to country songs’ constant references to drinking.

While refunds were offered to those who still had tickets in hand, many decided the lines were too long, and some even left before Bentley took the stage. As some vocalized their frustration, security guards braced themselves in front of each booth that served alcohol in case anyone became unruly.

Despite the upset, the show continued, and the true country fans stayed for the reason they came: the music.

Fans went wild when Ingram joined Bentley onstage for an impromptu duet, and their love for Bentley was obvious as the cheers grew louder with every song.

Bentley belted out his catchy hits like “All my exes live in Texas,” “Lot of Leavin’ Left to Do” and “Every Mile a Memory.”

He won over the crowd’s hearts, saying, “The prettiest girls are in California! Put that in my Wikepedia!”

Bentley drove the crowd even more crazy when he proclaimed, “I love me some Old Sac!”

The love was mutual.

Photos taken by Kati Garner

Sacramento Pride fills Capitol Mall

2010-06-21T06:14:37Z

Sandwiched between the Capitol and Tower Bridge, Capitol Mall was blocked off Saturday for the 26th annual Sacramento Pride Festival.

About 12,000 people filled Third through Seventh streets from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. to celebrate the event and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month. The event was kicked off with a parade from Southside Park to Capitol Mall. A ribbon-cutting ceremony included Mayor Kevin Johnson, Senator Darrell Steinberg and Speaker of the Assembly John Pérez.

"(The festival) is a celebration of equality for all people, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation," said Bonnie Osborn, Sacramento Pride's marketing committee chair.

Attendees wandered among two music stages, the Amtrak dance pavilion, a kids zone, food court, beer garden and almost 200 vendor booths. People, and a few dogs, donned colorful outfits and accessories.

"(This festival) is important to Sacramento because it shows others that perceptions of the gay community being made up of androgynous people and feminine men is wrong," Debra Boothe of Sacramento said. "We have children and families just like everybody else. We're just like everybody else."

Vendors included businesses and organizations such as Jackson Rancheria, Davis Musical Theatre Company, AAA, Grateful Dog and Barefoot Wine and Bubbly.

"There's a variety of vendors reaching out to people," Daniel Barbour of Davis said. "There's booths here for people's health, animal care, home repair. It shows a diversity and tolerance."

The Sacramento Gay and Lesbian Center hosts the event as a fundraiser. The $10 admission went to support the center's programs and services.

"It's important that we're proud all year round," Osborn said. "It's important to support businesses in our own community, like the Gay and Lesbian Center. If the LGBT community doesn't support our organizations, then who will?"

Osborn attributed the attendance to marketing and a sunny Saturday.

"Sacramento's LGBT community is very central to Sacramento's community at large," Osborn said. "It's a vibrant, strong community and having that location on the doorstep of our state capitol was really symbolic of the strong role that the LGBT community plays in Sacramento and our state."

Photos:

1) The rainbow balloon arch at the festival.

2) A participant of the lip-syncing contest.

3) A canine attendee wearing a rainbow bandana.

4) A participant of the lip-syncing contest.

5) An attendee with a colorful mohawk.

6) A couple at the festival.

Agnus-Dei Farrant is an intern for The Sacramento Press.

Dyke Night kicks off PRIDE

2010-06-19T06:08:03Z

Sacramento's PRIDE 2010 kicked off with Dyke Night, an evening of music and entertainment on the west Capitol steps to lead into the new location of this year's festivities on Sacramento’s Capitol Mall near between the Tower Bridge and the Capitol building.

Here are some moments:

Two women in the audience respond to the performers on stage.

Allyn Pharo and her dog Sterling.

The crowd filled the lawn in front of the west Capitol steps.

Aurora (top and bottom) played to the crowd.

Emcee and Organizer Hilary Hodge keep the pace going throughout the evening.

Tina Reynolds, Equality Action Now, gave folks an update on Prop.8.

Dancers from Hot Pot Studios (above) moved their bodies slowly to the music and react after falling down (below).

Dean Brian Baker, Trinity Church participated with C. Foster and Jovi Radtke’s “Spoken Word”.

Jace and Brando performed with the Kings of Drag.

Other performers included Der Spazm and Sappho’s Serenaders.

For a copy of the official Sacramento PRIDE program:sacramentopride.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/sac-pride-program-only.pdf

The Sacramento Pride Festival will be held Saturday, June 19, from 10 am to 5 pm along the Capitol Mall Avenue.

SacPress Photos | Kati Garner

Sacramento Pride Reinvented

2010-05-09T00:45:50Z

This is not your daddy’s Sacramento Pride!

Sacramento Pride is making big changes in 2010, all aimed at transforming the annual regional celebration of LGBT culture and accomplishments into an event worthy of its new tagline, California’s Capital Pride.

The list of changes begins with the day-long Pride Festival’s move this year to Sacramento’s Capitol Mall. The Festival will be held Saturday, June 19, from 10 am to 5 pm. Sandwiched between the State Capitol dome on the east and the golden spans of the Tower Bridge on the west, the Festival’s move to the scenic city gateway is intended to raise visibility and emphasize the important role of the LGBT community in Sacramento and statewide.

The Festival’s move from Southside Park, where the festival has been held for the past several years, to Capitol Mall has been warmly received by city officials, who awarded the event an $8,100 City of Festivals Grant for the first time this year. “Sacramento’s LGBT community is essential to making this city a great place to live, work and play,” said Councilmember Ray Tretheway. “The State Capitol and Tower Bridge will be the perfect backdrop as thousands of people from throughout the state and nation gather to celebrate our capital’s annual pride festival.”

Also new in 2010:

An amped-up entertainment line-up, featuring several nationally-known acts as well as a robust slate of local talent at two stage locations. Entertainers confirmed to date include:
-- Season 1 winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Bebe Zahara Benet
-- Recording artist Kaylah Marin, whose dance remix hit “On the Floor (Oh Baby Please)” currently is #4 on the Billboard Club Play Charts
-- TWSS, or That’s What She Said, an L.A. musical comedy duo perhaps best known for the YouTube sensation, “U-Haul: The Music Video”
-- Singer/Songwriter Joel Evan, whose new hit single "Storm" is taking the dance clubs by storm.
A new Sacramento Pride Parade route, featuring a symbolic route reversal, beginning at 10 am at Southside Park (where it used to end)and ending at the entrance to the new Capitol Mall Festival grounds.
The high-energy Amtrak Dance Stage, made possible by a generous sponsorship from Amtrak.
An all-new Dyke Celebration. Scheduled for Friday evening, June 18, at the State Capitol West Steps, the event will feature a twist on the traditional “Dyke March” with a festive line-up of musical, dance, Drag King and spoken-word performances. Participants of all genders are invited to join the celebration of unity and equality.

Sacramento Pride 2010 will have the support of the largest number of corporate and non-profit sponsors in the history of the event, beginning with Title Sponsor Jackson Rancheria Hotel & Casino, Outword Magazine, Wells Fargo, The Hewlett Packard Company, Regional Transit, JetBlue, Barefoot Cellars, Safeway, Rainbow Chamber of Commerce of Sacramento, Rainbow Pages, SMUD, Amtrak, California State Fair, Uptown Studios, IKEA, BudLight, Lumens Light + Living, Infinite Entertainment, WriteAway Communications Services, Power of Two Promotions, CARES, Sacramento News & Review, and Cheer San Francisco. Outword Magazine publisher Fred Palmer, sales and marketing agent for Sacramento Pride, has been instrumental in attaining most of the event sponsors.

As always, Sacramento Pride is produced by volunteers and staff of the Sacramento Gay & Lesbian Center, and proceeds support Center youth services, HIV support services, programs for transgender individuals, gay men and lesbians, a free weekly legal clinic and other services critical to the health and wellbeing of the LGBT community.

For more information, visit http://sacramentopride.org, or follow Sacramento Pride on Facebook, Twitter and MySpace.

Spring Block Party on Capitol Mall

2010-04-21T18:49:30Z

On April 24, Capitol Mall will soon be home to one of Sacramento’s longest running events, Active 20-30 No.1 Club of Sacramento’s Spring Block Party. For 42 years, the event has been a fun way to raise money for local children’s charities. Thousands of people have helped raise millions of dollars to benefit groups such as the Sacramento Children’s Home, who is one this year’s beneficiaries.

This year, there are several additions to go along with the new venue on Capitol Mall between 5th & 6th streets. An entire city block will be taken over for this year’s event! Thousands of people are expected to come downtown for the carnival rides, live music, and food and drink. Local businesses such as House Kitchen & Bar, Beach Hut Deli and Pine Cove Tavern have come aboard as sponsors helping to make the event potentially one of their most successful events.

There will be live music with the State Capitol in the background, thousands of party-goers, carnival rides and much, much more fun!

Event time is 6-11 P.M. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Tickets can be purchased at:

Beach Hut Deli Locations
4Th Street Grill
House Kitchen & Bar
Pine Cover Tavern

For more information on the event, go to www.sacspringparty.com.

Do public transit stops attract crime?

2010-04-21T16:44:52Z

Last week’s fatal stabbing of 68-year-old Bernice Nickson took place at a downtown Regional Transit stop.

While it would be hasty to let one incident determine RT’s entire reputation, the incident does beg the question: Are Regional Transit stops hubs for crime?

Alane Masui, assistant general manager of communications for Sacramento RT, said no. She said that when crimes take place on the street, transit stops are just easy landmarks to associate with the incident.

“It’s more of a perception than a reality,” she said. “When something occurs, people try to put the incident in context, and transit stops serve as regional landmarks.”

There are about 3,800 bus stops and 47 light rail stations in the Sacramento area. Masui’s point is that RT is all over the city, meaning it’s nearly impossible to draw a line determining where a “transit area” ends and a “non-transit area” begins. So a comparison of safety rates can’t really happen. It’s left to perception, not hard data.

Sgt. Norm Leong of the Sacramento Police Department said transit stops do attract crime, but he stopped short of singling them out as a problem.

“When you have people out walking, it creates a vulnerability,” he said. “But it’s no different than a nightclub closing or a concert getting out.”

He said there is an added danger now that so many people wear headphones in public, essentially putting their $200 smart phones on display for potential criminals to steal.

But Leong said criminals are foolish to break the law at RT stops because the stops have high-quality surveillance cameras. Bernice Nickson’s death was solved thanks in part to one such camera, which provided detectives a general description of the killer and his initial direction of travel after the stabbing.

Still, some riders believe crime is higher at bus and light rail stops. Daniel, a 23-year-old who declined to give his last name, is one of them.

“It’s the streets,” he said, sitting on his bike at the Eighth Street and O Street light rail stop. “I’ve seen people get jumped. At Power Inn I saw someone get his head beat in with a bat. And no one came for a while.”

"It's only at some stops," added Ashley, also 23, who said it has more to do with neighborhood than anything else.

"I'm comfortable," said 55-year-old Suzy Bonin, in reference to public transit as a whole. "At night ... it can get iffy."

Bonin says she might think twice before letting her teenage grandson ride alone, however.

According to a performance report on SacRT.com, there were 42 crimes on RT in January, which is about average for the past year. Those are felonies and misdemeanors, not minor infractions. RT’s worst month last year was March, with 74, and its best was December, with 36. The number of crimes January is down 11 from last year’s January total of 53.

Roger Dickinson, who is on the RT board of directors, agreed with Masui. He said transit stops are unfairly used as reference points for crimes that may actually have nothing to do with public transit.

“If someone gets stabbed a block away from a light rail station, the media still refers to the station,” he says. “Even if it had nothing to do with the genesis of the crime.”

So, are the stops dangerous?

Regional Transit said no -- it’s just perception. The Police said yes, but no more so than a nightclub or a concert. But at least RT stops have surveillance.

Leong said the whole discussion triggers a certain level of paranoia. But RT is still the best option for many commuters, and its shortcomings are just the price riders pay for the convenience of light rail and buses.

“What’s the alternative?" Leong said. "Don’t walk anywhere?”

- Photos by Brandon Darnell

Slow Art Day this Saturday at the Crocker

2010-04-15T22:44:15Z

The Crocker Art Museum will be one of more than 40 sites worldwide to host Slow Art Day in 2010, an initiative that encourages visitors to slow down and spend quality time looking at a single artwork. Slow Art Day will take place on Saturday, April 17, starting at 11 a.m., at the Crocker.

“The majority of museum visitors view an artwork for less than 30 seconds,” said Christian Adame, manager of life-long learning at the Crocker Art Museum. “But it is easy to miss the artist’s message during such a quick look. This event is designed to help participants see art in a new way – to focus, contemplate and discuss their ideas.”

The Slow Art session at the Crocker will focus on three artworks in the Museum’s permanent collection: Stephen Kaltenbach’s "Portrait of My Father", Toshiko Takaezu’s "Devastation Trees", and Thomas Hill’s "Great Canyon of the Sierras, Yosemite."

“The concept for Slow Art is very simple: visit a museum, see a few pieces of art for 10 minutes or more, and have lunch to talk about it afterwards,” said Phil Terry, founder of Slow Art and the Reading Odyssey. “Visitors are invited to come, to feel welcome, to not worry about what experts say but rather to take the time themselves to see and discover what is possible when slowly viewing art.”

This Slow Art session is free with Museum admission. Participants are invited to continue their discussion during lunch at the Marketplace Café in Embassy Suites on Capitol Mall. Reservations are required. To register, call (916) 808-5499 or email education@crockerartmuseum.org. Visit slowartday.com for more information about the international event.

The Crocker Art Museum was established in 1885 and continues as the leading art institution for the California Capital Region and Central Valley. The Museum offers a diverse spectrum of special exhibitions, events and programs to augment its collections of California, European and Asian artworks. The Crocker is located at 216 O Street in Downtown Sacramento. Museum hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday-Sunday; 1st & 3rd Thursdays until 9 p.m. Free admission on Sundays from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. is made possible through the support of Bank of America. For more information on exhibits and events call (916) 808-7000 or visit crockerartmuseum.org.

Sacramento Pride Moves to Capitol Mall

2010-01-27T23:06:24Z

The Sacramento Pride Festival, an annual event that brings thousands of attendees from throughout California, will be held for the first time on Capitol Mall in 2010, Bill Otton, interim director of the Sacramento Gay & Lesbian Center, announced this week. The Pride Festival and Parade will be held Saturday, June 19.

Established in 1984, the day-long lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) pride festival has been held at Sacramento’s Southside Park for the past several years. Otton said the move to the Capitol Mall site will generate renewed excitement for an event that dates back to the early years of the gay civil rights movement in Sacramento and help bring attention to the role of the gay community in Sacramento civic life.

“We’re thrilled to be holding Sacramento Pride at Capitol Mall in 2010,” Otton said. “We’re focusing on Sacramento Pride as California’s Capital Pride celebration this year. With a view of the Capitol dome on one side and the historic Tower Bridge over the Sacramento River on the other, the Mall’s location helps us make that point in a tangible, visual way.”

Sacramento Pride is produced by the Sacramento Gay & Lesbian Center (http://www.saccenter.org) and is the largest source of funding for Center programs, which include services for at-risk youth, a free legal clinic, HIV/AIDS support services, transgender support services and numerous discussion groups and other activities for LGBT adults.

Otton also announced that the Center has contracted with Fred Palmer and Outword Magazine (http://www.outwordmagazine.com) as the sales and marketing agent for corporate sponsorships for both the Center and Sacramento Pride.

Sacramento Pride has launched an expanded marketing and outreach effort for 2010 in an attempt to boost attendance and corporate sponsorships that includes a new logo and website (http://www.sacramentopride.org) designed by graphic design firm Uptown Studios.

Major corporate sponsors of Sacramento Pride and the Center include Wells Fargo, Rainbow Chamber of Commerce of Sacramento, The Hewlett Packard Company, Outword Magazine and Uptown Studios.

The 2010 Sacramento Pride Committee, Chaired by business owner Josh Jacoby, has worked closely with city officials to develop logistical plans for festival infrastructure and security. Jacoby is founder and owner of two Roseville-based businesses, TechMarketing Autopilot and InnovaCrew Technology Services.

City Councilmember Ray Tretheway, who represents Downtown Sacramento, said holding the festival at Capitol Mall supports the city’s goal of bringing people and vitality to the downtown area.

“Sacramento’s LGBT community is essential to making this city a great place to live, work and play,” said Councilmember Tretheway. “The State Capitol and Tower Bridge will be the perfect backdrop as thousands of people from throughout the state and nation gather to celebrate our capital’s annual pride festival.”

Jacoby said the Pride Committee expects to increase festival attendance, which has approached 10,000 in previous years, as well as the number of festival exhibitors, which exceeded 220 booths in 2009.

“Our beautiful Capitol is an attraction to people from all over the state,” Jacoby said. “LGBT Californians are very proud of our state and its commitment to diversity and inclusion. Celebrating Sacramento Pride in the shadow of the Capitol reflects our community’s pride in being citizens of this great state.”

For more information about Sacramento Pride, visit http://www.sacramentopride.org or call 916-442-0185, Ext. 139.

City Council likes idea of Capitol Mall makeover

2009-11-11T06:41:58Z

The idea is non-controversial among members of the City Council: They all support the concept of a makeover for Capitol Mall.

And, they all like the idea of the city hosting a design competition for a remodel of the Mall from the riverfront to 9th Street.

The City Council gave its unanimous support to the fledgling plan, which was presented by Beth Tincher of the Economic Development Department Tuesday night. The details of the design competition would be crafted by city staff, the American Institute of Architects and stakeholders, according to a Nov. 10 city staff report.

Councilman Steve Cohn said he and council colleague Ray Tretheway have been working on the plan for a future revamping of Capitol Mall.

“But the whole idea would be to add value to Capitol Mall so that some of the stakeholders could chip in with whatever these streetscape costs might be,” Cohn said. “And I think it’s something that’s really going to tie in well with what we’re trying to do on the waterfront, with the Crocker [Museum], with K Street and with the Railyards.”

Details on funding for the project have not been decided. However, the Nov. 10 report notes that the city and the architects’ institute want to “solicit contributions to conduct the design competition and for the preparation of the Capitol Mall Plan and specific project design. Staff will report back to City Council if any city funds are requested.”

A working group of stakeholders suggested ideas for the remodel, such as setting up "iconic" art installations and creating additional public space, according to the report.

John Packowski, a Sacramento marketing and architectural design professional, urged the council to move ahead with the plan, despite the poor economy.

“There [are] going to be a lot of people that think we’re completely insane doing this with the current budget crisis that we have,” Packowski said. “But projects like this take time; they take a lot of energy ... but this is your chance to really get onto something that the public can latch onto and build something for generations to come.”

Read the report on the plan here.

Photo by Anthony Bento.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Streetcars Proposed for Capitol Mall

2009-04-02T01:35:30Z

Today the Preservation Commission will meet to discuss a study of bringing Streetcars onto Capitol Mall and back to downtown Sacramento. Over the past 30 years, public and private interests have examined the feasibility of streetcars and other services that could travel between West Sacramento and downtown Sacramento, but in May 2007 West Sacramento became the lead agency to prepare a draft environmental impact report for the project in order to gain permits for the project.

With the partnership of West Sacramento, Sacramento, in cooperation with Sacramento Regional Transit (RT) and Yolo County Transportation District (YCTD), a partnership was formed to study the reintroduction of the streetcar and connect the cities and their shared riverfronts. The partnership was also aided by funding from the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) Community Design Program to perform a thorough analysis so elected officials, public agencies, citizens groups, and other stakeholders could make an informed decision on the proposed transportation investment.

The feasibility study includes a discussion of the technology, alignment, financing opportunities, and operating plans. The 2.2 mile proposed streetcar alignment would go from Washington/Triangle/Civic Center areas of West Sacramento and cross the Tower Bridge. From there the tracks would travel down Capitol Mall and cross over to K Street where it would then make a loop around the Convention Center heading back to West Sacramento.

The purpose of the proposed project is to improve transit service and local circulation by connecting both West Sacramento and downtown Sacramento with an alternative (non-auto) mode of transit in supporting existing and future development in the Cities of West Sacramento and downtown Sacramento. Approximate cost to build the Streetcar system is between $50 and $60 million.

Click here to see Video of Proposed Steetcars in action.