Grass roots organization Strive for Strength is hosting a retreat at the SASF/Bel Air Wong Family Community Center in Elk Grove on Monday, April 2, 9am-4pm. It is open to all females ages 12-18 who wish to learn more about social pressures, self-esteem, women's health issues, and other important topics. The objective is to inform, educate, and empower participants. Guest speakers are journalists Laura and Lisa Ling and national speaker and author Julie Marie Carrier, with KCRA 3 reporter Adrienne Bankert as MC. Registration is $45 and includes meals, a t-shirt, and a giveaway bag. For more information or to register, visit http://strive4strength.homestead.com or call 916-595-5999.

Hollywood rapper Mickey Avalon headlined a New Year's Eve show at Ace of Spades on Saturday. Supporting Avalon on the bill were 2ME, Richard the Rockstar, and producer Big Chocolate. Photos by Steven Chea.

If you don't know Dirt Nasty (aka ex-MTV VJ Simon Rex), take a look at some of his song titles and you'll know what you're getting into: "Suck My D***," "Baby D***" and "F*** Me I'm Famous." It was all about the lowest common denominator at Ace of Spades on Saturday, as Nasty rapped for a crowd that was about half full. In addition to genitalia and sex, he also covered themes like cocaine use ("1980") and bestiality ("Animal Lover"). But that’s his shtick, so you were either there for the juvenile party raps or maybe to catch a glimpse of the actor who was in “Scary Movie 4” and an episode of “MTV Cribs.” "He's hot! I don't even know his music. I came for him!" said Melissa Renee, 19.

A harem of attractive girls with their midriffs showing and about five men — two wearing eyeliner, one dressed as a taco and the rest disguised as Aladdin — showed up to Fairytale Town’s Moonlight Costume Ball: Arabian Nights. Fairytale Town is a park usually enjoyed by kids. It’s a place where they are able to run around, pet farm animals in paddocks and play on fairytale-themed objects like oversized cement blocks of Swiss cheese and slides shaped like shoes, but, on Saturday night, only those aged 18 and over were allowed entrance. Alcohol was served at two different tents. There were food trucks, a psychic, belly dancers and a raffle. Sacramento band Hero’s Last Mission performed,

What’s a sign that it’s officially summer in Sacramento? Summer is around the corner, and signs of the season are showing up everywhere in the city, the days are warmer and outside recreational activities begin to increase. The Sacramento Press stopped locals in the central city during the Second Saturday Art Walk, and asked, “What’s a sign that it’s officially summer in Sacramento?” Musician/singer Elijah Bell, 19, lives downtown and said he knows it’s summer when girls are walking around wearing less clothing. He added, “The days seem longer, and more songs come out on the radio.” Live music and local street performers are also more prevalent during summer on Second Saturdays. Stre

Boxing returned to Sacramento Saturday night with Battle of the Badges VII, an annual charity boxing event featuring correctional officers, police officers and firefighters from the Northern California area. Fifteen bouts of three two-minute rounds took place in front of an estimated 2,000-3,000 boxing fans at Memorial Auditorium, benefiting such charities as the Firefighters Burn Institute, Sac Fallen Officers Resource Fund, The Sacramento Sheriff’s Toy Project and Sacramento SPCA. Some agencies represented in the matches included the Sacramento and Vallejo fire departments; the Sacramento, Davis and Woodland police departments; the California Highway Patrol and California State Prison,

Today turned out to be a strange day. The day is January 10, 2009, Saturday. I went walking with my dogs Pika and HPI (Pronounced Hi-Pee) at Elk Grove Laguna Creek Wetlands. According to high school kids, the Wetlands is haunted. There is claim by these high school kids, that on one foggy night they saw a covered wagon drawn by two ghostly black horses near some Eucalyptus trees. Eucalyptus trees were brought over by settlers from Australia. They were planted in clumps in certain areas, so that settlers can use the shade from these huge trees for cover. The three clumps in the Wetlands is where kids have said they have either seen ghostly figures in old Western outfits or have seen the gho

Ghost Girls Tales: Back to the Ione Hotel By Paul Dale Roberts, Ghost Girls Ghostwriter It’s going to be a long day. I have to be at Shannon McCabe’s home at 2:30pm and prepare for a full day of doing a Ghost Girl shoot and investigation. At Shannon’s home, waiting for me is Shannon & Natalee Black. Shan carefully drives us to the Ione Hotel where the shooting/investigation will be taking place. The reason why I say ‘carefully’ is because Shan just recently received a speeding ticket and she is not looking for another one. It was nice not to feel the G-Force that forces my face into her side window. As we arrived to the Ione Hotel, waiting for us were people that wanted readings from Nan