This week marks the first Sacramento Beer Week.  Breweries, restaurants and bars throughout the Sacramento region will shine a spotlight on beer.  Sacramento Beer Week will feature more than 200 events including brewer’s dinners, beer and cheese pairings, rare ale tastings, pint nights and brewery showcases. Sacramento Beer Week seeks to brew up interest in beer generally and in locally brewed craft beer in particular.  The period following the holidays and before the warmer Spring weather is traditionally a slow period for beer sales, and Sacramento Beer Week organizers hope their event will be a shot in the arm for the local economy. Local brews won’t be the only ones showcased during

Despite a stagnant economy, Sacramento area veterinary clinics and animal shelters are poised to give away as much as $160,000 in services to pet owners in need as part of “Spay Day Sacramento” on February 28. Operated annually by the nonprofit Sacramento Area Animal Coalition (SAAC), Spay Day Sacramento is the largest one-day spay/neuter event in the country. This year, approximately 800 dogs and cats will receive spay/neuter surgery for just $20 per dog and $15 per cat. According to SAAC board member Kim Kinnee, spaying and neutering is one of the most effective ways to reduce the number of homeless and unwanted pets in the Sacramento area. About half of the 40,000 animals entering Sac

When I first heard that the Sacramento Kings would be offering “dollar beer night” on its nationally televised Wednesday night home game as a promotion to bring in more fans, it was surprisingly troublesome to learn on many levels. As someone who is a community advocate and supporter of the organization MADD, this to me has the makings of irresponsibility written all over it, similar to letting a drunk tend bar. The Kings for all that can be said about their play on the court and lack of home attendance, should not display such gimmicky promotions that will encourage people to engage in risky drinking behavior just for a quick buck. Granted buying beer is an option to fans and no one’s arm

I recently spent three weeks in the Rust Belt—America’s old industrial heartland—looking at the ways Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Detroit have responded to economic crises. I was seeking what lessons these cities might have for my hometown of Sacramento. This tour followed 10 days in Europe studying Mondragon, which is the world's largest and most complex system of worker-ownership. Mondragon is located in the Basque Country, in Northern Spain. This region has taken an economic trajectory opposite the Rust Belt. While Cleveland and Detroit fell apart, the Basques clawed their way back from post-war devastation and oppression to achieve an average income that is now nearly 40 perc

 About 80 people turned out for a town hall meeting Thursday night to weigh in on plans for a new entertainment and sports complex. Business leaders and residents presented their ideas to Mayor Kevin Johnson’s "Sacramento First" arena task force at the Sacramento Public Library downtown. The task force is assigned to analyze developers’ ideas for the complex. The 12-member group includes real estate, finance and communications executives. Task force members are not paid. Johnson told the audience a new complex needs to generate jobs. “We’ve got to create jobs; we’ve got a down economy,” he said. Chris Lehane, the task force’s co-chairman, echoed that point. “This is about economic devel

  *   You have likely heard the old joke that lab rats are being replaced by lawyers because the lab workers do not get emotionally attached to lawyers.  Or the one about a thousand lawyers being chained together at the bottom of the ocean being a “good start”.  As these jokes (and the hundreds of others) show, lawyers have a bad reputation.  Personally, I have never had the need for one and only know a few, and I have worked pretty hard at maintaining the status quo on both of those points.  It seemed to me that lawyers are for people who live near secret toxic waste dumpsites.  Recently, my work helping small businesses with marketing led me to a local Law Firm and Real Estate compan

Sacramento's office space market will continue to favor tenants as vacancy rates increase and businesses consolidate existing office space. That combination is allowing prospective tenants to negotiate deals that may not have been possible before the economic downturn. According to Reid Boggiano of Sacramento Tenant Advisors, companies looking for class B or C office space will be able to get deals and allowances that weren't possible during the economic boom. "It hasn’t been this much of a tenant’s market in Sacramento for a good many years," said Boggiano. "Right now we are negotiating rent reductions and generous tenant improvement allowances that we wouldn't have imagined only a few

Grrrrr.....just.....one.....more......inch....and....I've......got it!  I thought the days of lying down to zip my jeans were over years ago.  Ugh.  An unexpected by-product of 13 months of unemployment has made it's presence known, unfortunately, in a really BIG way.  At 11.6%. there are countless stories of unemployment in the big city;  the pounding of the pavement;  the plethora of interviews; hours of staring deeply into the 'eyes' of an lcd screen, peering at one job search engine after another.  I'm here to touch on those, but to clue you in on a lesser known side-effect of the unemployment scene.  Sacramento is a terrific place to live.  Great weather, a booming arts scene, hip

There is no doubt that the Sacramento River Cats have brought an exciting and competitive brand of baseball to this city since they moved to Raley Field from Vancouver, Wash., in 2000. From the moment of arrival, the team performed and continues to perform well, winning four PCL championships and seven PCL southern division titles, as well as the Triple-A championship last season.   Another area in which this team has never struggled is putting fans in the seats. For the past nine seasons, the River Cats have led all minor league baseball in attendance, carrying about 10,000 fans a game during that span. However, attendance has dropped during the current season due to the economic situat

Traversing the Sacramento County area for a great burger at a great price can be a hard thing to do. Where Classic Burger formerly stood, owner, Steve of the Granite's family, has owned, operated and served up a huge menu of great eats, with "an east coast touch", going on one year now. This isn't your ordinary hamburger stand, Steve serves up a full diverse menu of Charbroiled Burgers, Italian Meatball Subs, Steak and Mushroom Cheesesteak Hoagies, Hot Pastrami on french roll, Grilled Chicago Dogs, Charbroiled Chicken Sandwiches, B.L.T, Chef Salads, Cold Cut Combo, Ham, Turkey, Italian Salami, Pepperoni and NY Buffalo Chicken Wings 10-50pc to name a few, including 92 other menu items to s

One would be hard-pressed to find somebody more passionate about preserving the environment than multi-professional bike enthusiast John Boyer. "I was mad as hell about the treatment of the planet since I was very small," he said. "I've always been an environmentalist at heart." Boyer Currently holds four occupations: a mechanic at Carmichael Cycle, an instructor at the Sacramento Bicycle Kitchen, a long-time waiter at La Bohème and now founder of catering delivery business Edible Pedal. Yet despite his loaded work schedule, Boyer said he's able to find solace in his work because of the eco-friendly message it provides the community. "I bike everywhere," Boyer said. "When I was a child,

  Seventeen-week program expands job opportunities in a tough economy Two local veterinary educators have found a way to help animals, people and the economy all at once. Al Aldrete, DVM of Davis and Alex Henderson, RVT of Dixon in 2006 founded a school that trains veterinary assistants to become registered veterinary technicians. There are plenty of veterinary assistants, but not enough registered techs authorized to perform certain medical procedures and operate technical equipment independent of a veterinarian’s supervision. If a veterinarian doesn’t have enough registered technicians, they must do the work themselves or risk losing their license. Veterinarians outnumber veterinary

They call him the Ice Cream Dude. And when people stop 24-year-old Cody Hale on the street, it's just as much because of his car as it is to buy a Watermelon Bomb Pop, Cry Baby Italian Ice or a Bubble Gum Snow Cone. That's just what the former construction worker from Rio Linda hoped for when he took a gamble with his last $500 and built a rad ice cream wagon that'd be at home at any California beach. Lucky for him, he had an 1965 Volkswagen Beetle sitting in the garage and a dad who helped him restore and modify the car. Just two weeks into his new profession, he thinks he's found a recession-proof job he can still do despite a recent injury. "I make more money driving an ice cream tr

The construction market in Sacramento is at a 16 year low. Unemployment rates are continuing to rise in 2009 and what may seem like “light at the end of a tunnel” is beginning to be going out. After the financial meltdown in the fall, private financing for construction has almost disappeared. That has left contractors scrambling for public works projects until the financial markets get right again. According to a recent article in www.californiaconstruction.com, it is estimated that next year at this time, the California Construction Top Projects list may feature road projects, military work and public office buildings instead of retail centers, hotels and office complexes. Contractors i

Sacramento County officials began budget hearings Tuesday with an explanation of the county's poor financial state, noting that the county is expecting an ongoing pattern of poor sales tax revenues, among other problems. The county is also facing criticism about its budgeting practices from credit rating agencies, said Nav Gill, chief operations officer for the county. The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors is addressing a $180 million budget gap in budget hearings this week. Supervisors may approve a proposed budget next week. The county’s proposed overall budget is $4.3 billion for the 2009/2010 fiscal year. The proposed general fund budget is $2.03 billion. “This budget is the mos

Many small business owners are succumbing to fear due to the economy and worry whether they will succeed. Business owners are finding it more challenging to be optimistic and excited about the future of their businesses. However, two Sacramento area business owners are teaching that now is the time to be excited about doing business and they are teaching how business owners can be excited about doing business - despite hard economic times. Jerry Kennedy, owner of Inside Out Business Solutions, and Joel D Canfield, author, award-winning speaker and co-founder of the Northern California Association of Entrepreneurs, conduct interactive business workshops where attendees learn why now is the

The Sacramento Press is all about providing an outlet for everyone in the community. We recently hit the street to get people's comments on how they're coping with the recession. This week's question: How has the continued recession affected your spending habits? What are you buying and what are you not buying right now?   Regina LaFitte, 45 Analyst, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Elk Grove Resident "We're not going out as much. Most days, I bring my lunch. We get the essentials -- that's about it. I have a daughter who's in college. With the (student aid) cuts in education, I'm really feeling that one. As a state worker, we're doing a two-day furlough each

Special to Sacramento Press By Dena Kouremetis It may seem like an anomaly, but it really comes as no surprise to REO expert and Re/Max agent Ray Ponce.  Housing in Sacramento’s ‘grid’ – surrounded by freeways in all directions, has simply not become a casualty of foreclosure crisis. “It’s just a matter of supply and demand,” says Ponce. “There has always been, and will continue to be a demand for housing in this area.  Most of the homes in this area were built during the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s during a period of time when quality of craftsmanship and individual style were important for homeowners.  These homes are built well and possess charm and character that today’s modern homes simply

These days, coworkers don’t have to work for the same company. As a noun, the word “coworker” typically conjures up the default image of people sitting inside little cubes. But no more. We are on the cusp of a new economy where workers reclaim and repurpose stale philosophies. Enter coworking, and a movement driven by creative professionals who refuse to be bound by the stodgy cubicle and the 9 to 5 schedule. These are the people redefining “coworker.” They do all kinds of creative things; they think differently about working, business, food, economics, and even church. They are learning how to cowork in every aspect of life. They are members of the creative class, which, as Richard Fl

The Sacramento office market experienced a year-over-year decline of up to 13 percent for key submarkets as landlords began lowering prices and offering incentives in order to attract tenants. In addition with businesses downsizing or closing offices altogether, more space has come on the market which has helped to drive down prices even further. The following section shows the year-over-year declines for the average price of space in key Sacramento submarkets. (The price range factors in specific location and class of space) : Downtown - 2009 rates are 8 to 11 percent lower El Dorado Hills - 2009 rates are 7 to 11 percent lower Elk Grove - 2009 rates are 8 to 11 percent lower Highway