Jerry Brown was sworn in Monday morning as California's 39th governor, saying he has the opportunity to follow in his father's footsteps again. He also joked he was following in his own footsteps, referring to his return to the governor's office after 28 years. Brown served two terms between 1975 and 1983. Memorial Auditorium hosted the ceremony, which featured a cappella performances by the Oakland School of the Arts Choir. The choir opened the ceremony with a rendition of "This Land is Your Land" and sang the National Anthem as the Oakland Military Institute and California Cadet Corps Honor Guard presented the colors. Brown's wife, Anne Gust Brown, spoke first, describing the day as a

 Saturday Today was my first day in DC and you can feel the electricity and excitement in the air. As the city readies itself for this historic occasion and incredible event, people are beginning to stream into the nation’s capital. I attended the US Conference of Mayors and the highlight was listening to Rahm Imanuel. He issued a challenge to us Mayors. His most poignant comment was when he said, “We are currently facing the most difficult times our generation has seen. We cannot squander this opportunity.” He went on to talk about the stimulus package and how they were going to act fast, bring transparency to government and hold us all accountable. I completely understood what he meant.

Minutes before the change in power at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. at 9:00 a.m. Tuesday, a crowd of people gathered at A Touch A' Class on the corner of Stockton Blvd. and 14th Avenue. People were enthusiastically watching the flat screen TV's, and at 9 a.m. a few collectively said, "the Government is ours." Amidst the diverse crowd, a sense of pride emanated from the dozens filling the bar. The historic moment was shared by young and old as everyone in the bar glued their eyes to one of the screens, cheering, hugging, and crying. Party organizer Sandi Burden-Bradley felt exceptionally proud and politically moved for the first time in her thirty years of voting. "I'm on top of th

Dad's Kitchen in Land Park, great place.  Tuesday moring about 20 neighbors of all ages gathered to watch the Presidential inauguration.  At times it seemed as though I had flashed back to Berkeley in the '70s.  There was an activist "feel" to the room and I suspect that most of the guests were experienced at holding a hand-lettered sign with a political message.  But this was a small gathering of 21st century Sacramentans intent on celebrating a world changing event over coffee or other beverage.  There were cheers for Dianne Feinstein, our M.C., and cheers for Aretha Franklin (our group was a good demographic for her; many of us remember when "Respect" was released).  Aretha energized th

Sure, you could sit at home and watch it on TV. But this is the Inauguration of a new and different president, and this president, more than most, is about community. So, you wanna be with people on this historic day, no? Someplace where you don’t need to wrap your head in wool to enjoy it? The TVs will be on everywhere - what would a Sacramento bar be like without a TV? - but if you want a place where they’re celebrating, we’ve got a short list for you to check out. Keep in mind that most of these places will be offering drink and food specials, but we’ll leave it to you to find out what they are. Here are a few places in town where you can watch the inaugural live - coverage begins at

Photo credit- Riverview Media Photography Tia Gemmell www.phototia.com