The audience booed the villains and cheered the good guys, cued by the piano keys played by Musical Director John Cocuzzi Saturday during Sacra-Melo's production of "It's A Wonderful Life" aboard the Delta King. Sacra-Melo, a combination of the words “Sacramento” and “melodrama,” is a musical parody playhouse, co-founder Gary Winterholler, 46, said. He and his wife, 46-year-old Cammie Pavesic, started it in January. "I have done some work for another theater in town, and I loved it. I went and auditioned for the next show, but they did not cast me, and I said, ‘Let's start our company,’ " Winterholler said. The first musical parody Sacra-Melo performed was the "Phantom of the Opera," wh

A Watercolors and Hiking event will be held in Locke, Calif. on Thursday, September 15, 2011 starting at 10:00 a.m. The hike will be led by Martha Esch. Bring the kids and the grandparents; everyone is welcome!  Well-behaved dogs on leashes, okay. This is a mostly level 1.5 mile hike apart from one 20 foot long, somewhat steep, narrow path up a levee hill and some optional off-path routes along the way that are prickly and narrow. Locke artist and art teacher, Martha Esch, will demonstrate easy techniques to painting a quick, lovely, loose watercolor postcard of scenic spots along the hike. Next, participants will begin using watercolor kits, blank postcards and brushes that will be pas

The Central Valley Regional Water Board held its third public meeting in Sacramento on Monday to discuss control of discharges of Organochlorine pesticides in water bodies throughout the Central Valley. Eight Delta waterways, portions of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, have been included in the discussion, in addition to other water bodies throughout the state. These water bodies have been listed as impaired on the 303(d) list, meaning that they exceed the minimum pollutant level permitted by the Federal Clean Water Act. This meeting is one of several that have been held since June 2010 by the Board to discuss with waterway stakeholders the development of Organochlorine pesticide TMDLs

Monday, Aug. 17 Noon - 1 p.m. Sacramento Area Coalition Against the Death Penalty will be holding a noon hour vigil against the death penalty. About 10 people are expected to participate in the vigil on the north steps of the Capitol. 11 a.m. - noon The Million Boat Float will hold a press conference and rally on the west steps of the Capitol. The event was created to voice opposition to legislation proposing to "construct a water conveyance system comparable to the Panama Canal" in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Tuesday, Aug. 18 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. ACLU of Northern California will be holding a rally to urge "elected officials to make equitable budget solutions and sensible crimin