Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "lisa ling"

Emcees Announced for California Hall of Fame Ceremony

2011-11-15T17:46:23Z

It's been annouced that Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson and Journalist Lisa Ling will be hosting the 2011 California Hall of Fame in Sacramento next month.

Both natives of Sacramento, Johnson is more than thrilled looking to host star studded event according to a press release. Last year, Ling hosted the event that was broadcasted live on Comcast with a journalist from the E! network, that turned out to be a success.

This year the inducee's include The Beach Boys, Magic Johnson and Carlos Santana to name a few well known names. The others include people who've made a difference in California.

The event was started in 2006 by Maria Shriver to honor legendary people who have made a difference in our state and made their mark in history. The event was also started to help inspire others in their lifes that they too can accomplish their dreams.

This year, the Hall of Fame will take place at the Memorial Auditorium rather than the California Museum ~~Capitol Museum~~ where it has always been for the past six ~~four~~ years. This because of capacity decisions to fit in more community memebers and the public.

I believe this event has been able to display residents around Sacramento the truth of what our leaders/ prominent people have done for California. Not only does it bring a little Hollywood to Sacramento, but also adds a little spice of excitement in the city. The event could have easily been held in Los Angeles, just like any other but Maria Shriver wanted to bring these people to the capitol where everything starts. At Last years event people came as far away from Floria just to get a glimpse of their favorite celebrity.

Sacramento's only star studded event will take place on Thursday Dec. 8th at 6 p.m.

Editorial Note: The Sacramento Press made edits to this article after publication.

Disclosure: Writing about the assignment for class.

Big-name speakers headed to Sacramento

2011-09-21T06:06:15Z

Condoleezza Rice, Lisa Ling and film critic Richard Roeper are some of the speakers who will come to Sacramento for the seventh season of the Sacramento Speakers Tour, which begins Oct. 11 at the Community Center Theater downtown.

“It’s a beneficial community experience, a chance to get up close and personal with nationally known individuals enriching the community for a vast and wide amount of topics,” said Angie Fotiades, a spokeswoman for the tour.

The other speakers are Pulitzer Prize-winning author David McCullough, CNN Political Analyst and former presidential aide David Gergen, and investigative travel reporter Peter Greenberg.

The series will be hosted by former financial news anchor Kelly Brothers.

“I am thrilled to be the MC for the Sacramento Speakers Series!” Brothers said in a prepared statement. “This is a chance for me to engage in a one-on-one conversation with people who have lived lives of great accomplishment. I am really looking forward to the opportunity.”

This will be Brothers’ first year hosting the series, and it will also be the first year it is owned by local attorney Mitchell Ostwald.

Ostwald purchased it from the Bay Area owners after last year’s season in Sacramento because he “did not want to see an educational and entertaining series vanish from the Sacramento community.”

He added that the series gives Sacramentans the chance to hear about a variety of topics from well-known and respected speakers.

Fotiades said feedback in past years has been positive.

“The typical feedback I’ve gotten is people usually join because of our big speakers – last year we had Laura Bush and Tom Brokaw,” she said, “but the reason people renew is they see the lesser-known names are enlightening or really interesting, and they didn’t expect to have such a good time.”

Audience members get the option to submit questions via the Internet or on cards passed out at the speaking engagements, and Brothers leads a Q-and-A session following the speeches, which are usually about an hour, Fotiades said.

What the speakers discuss depends on them, and Fotiades said it isn’t known yet what the topics will be for this season.

Tickets to the speaking engagements can’t be purchased individually, but Fotiades said a subscription to the whole series – all six speakers – is $205 and can be purchased online by clicking here.

With the series opening Oct. 11, the last day to purchase subscriptions to the full course is Oct. 10. After that, prorated subscriptions will be available. All events wil be held at the Community Center Theater, 1301 L St.

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

2010 CA Hall of Fame, red carpet induction ceremony

2010-12-09T06:08:08Z

For the first time, the California Museum’s red carpet event – the California Hall of Fame – will be broadcast live. Barbra Streisand, Betty White, Serena Williams and Mark Zuckerburg are some of the new inductees who will be recognized Dec. 14 in Sacramento.

The other 2010 inductees are Governor Edmund G. “Pat” Brown, director James Cameron, John Doerr, Silicon Valley visionary investor, A.P. Giannini who is considered the father of modern banking and Bank of America, country music legend Merle Haggard, author and activist Anne Lamott, former Secretary of State, George Shultz, Dr. Kevin Starr and artist Wayne Thiebaud.

These are individuals who have made legendary achievements in the areas of politics, activism, science, philanthropy, sports, business, entertainment, technology, fitness and literature and were chosen based on those achievements, according to a press release.

The fifth annual ceremony will be co-hosted by Lisa Ling, a correspondent of the Oprah Winfrey Show, and Jason Kennedy, a reporter and correspondent for E! News.

The recipients will be awarded the Spirit of California medal by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and First Lady Maria Shriver, and the live broadcast will include this and the red carpet interviews, speeches and induction ceremony.

Besides the inductees and their families, guests will include state officials, the Museum’s Board of Trustees, past year inductees, donors and sponsors, according to Brenna Hamilton, Communications Director for The California Museum.

Attendance is restricted to these preferred guests, as the California Museum auditorium, where the induction ceremony is being held, only seats 270 people, Hamilton said.

However, she added, there is a general public area in front of the Museum on 10th Street where the public is invited to watch the VIPs walk the red carpet on their way into the auditorium for the induction ceremony.

Some of these guests will include Governor-Elect Jerry Brown, Clint Eastwood and his wife Dina Eastwood, Margrit Mondavi, wife of 2007 inductee Robert Mondavi, Stuart Milk, nephew of 2009 inductee Harvey Milk, and Lt. Governor-Elect Gavin Newsom.

Inductees of years past have included Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel, Jack Nicholson, Alice Waters, Leland Stanford, Ansel Adams, Jackie Robinson, John Steinbeck and Steve Jobs. For a complete list of previous inductees, click here.

Comcast Hometown Network will broadcast this event live on digital cable channel 104 from 6 – 8 p.m. on Dec. 14.

For more information about the 2010 induction ceremony or previous Hall of Fame exhibits, click here.

Photo 1 (Brown): courtesy of California State Archives

Photo 2 (Doerr): photo by Doug Menuez

Photo 3 (Giannini): courtesy of the Bancroft Library, UC Berkeley

Photo 4 (Haggard): photo by Pamela Springsteen

Photo 5 (Lamott): photo by Eliot Holtzman

Photo 6 (Shultz): courtesy of Hoover Institution

Photo 7 (Starr): courtesy of California State Library

Photo 8 (Strauss): courtesy of Levi Strauss & Co.

Photo 9 (Streisand): photo by Deborah Wald

Photo 10 (Thiebaud): courtesy of Matt Bult

Photo 11 (White): courtesy of Betty White

Photo 12 (Williams): photo by John Russo

Photo 13 (Zuckerburg): courtesy of Facebook

Sacramento Steps Forward initiative announced

2009-11-06T04:36:58Z

Thursday morning, journalist Lisa Ling, members of the City Council and the homeless and formerly-homeless community joined Mayor Kevin Johnson in launching the "Sacramento Steps Forward" initiative. A crowd of several hundred waved blue initiative flags and cheered as Johnson announced his goal "to end homelessness and focus on permanent housing."

He applauded permanent housing shelters such as Mercy Housing, Turning Point and Martin Luther King Jr. Village, 3900 47th Avenue, where the launch was held.

Johnson said the goal of Sacramento Steps Forward is to provide 2,400 "decent and affordable" permanent housing units over the next three years. That would nearly quadruple the amount of permanent housing units created in the city over the last two years.

The mayor asked the Sacramento residents to advocate for the homeless, educate others about services needed to end homelessness, and to help find public, corporate and nonprofit funding.

"The homeless do not need a handout, they need a hand up," Johnson said. "They want to be empowered."

Johnson is chairman of a multiagency task force, part of the Policy Board to End Homelessness, that found funding for 269 winter shelter beds last month. This came despite an 84 percent cut in county funding for homelessness and the elimination of funding for winter shelters in September.

Tim Brown, director of the Sacramento Ending Chronic Homelessness Initiative, said last week that federal stimulus money will house 150 people who are now in shelters, freeing up 150 shelter beds over the next few months.

With an expected 419 beds, the city and county intend to provide 151 more beds this year than last year's 268 beds. According to the 2009 Homeless Count Summary Report, there are about 2,800 homeless people in Sacramento, including 711 in emergency shelters, 895 in transitional housing and 1,194 who have no shelter.

After Johnson thanked Brown, Sister Libby Fernandez and Joan Burke, both of of Loaves and Fishes, he introduced Sacramento-native Ling, the host of National Geographic Explorer. Earlier this year, as a special correspondent for The Oprah Winfrey Show, she reported on Sacramento's "tent city," which brought other media outlets to the site.

"Your mayor, so many members of the homeless advocacy community, members of the city and county rose to the occasion and decided to tackle (homelessness) head on," Ling said. "I'm so proud of the way so many members of this community have come together (and) if Sacramento is successful (housing the homeless), it could be a model for the rest of the country."

County Supervisor Roger Dickinson, St. John's Shelter director, Michelle Steeb, and City Council member Rob Fong also spoke. Fong explained the Faith and Families initiative that he helped create.

"We're asking the faith communities to see if they would be willing through their congregation to make a commitment for one year to help house a homeless family," he said. "In the last year we've housed 10 homeless families (and) we're hoping to get a dozen more housed before the holidays."

Three formerly homeless people spoke about their experiences. They credited programs such as Serna Village, St. John's Shelter and Lutheran Social Services with changing their lives and giving them hope.

"It was absolutely marvelous," Fernandez of Loaves and Fishes said about the city's effort. "In one year, this mayor has talked more about the issue of homelessness than any mayor ever has. He spends time with the homeless, policymakers and advocates."

Although she applauded the push for transitional and permanent housing, she noted the nine-month waiting period to get into Quinn Cottages, a transitional housing shelter. This means that homeless need somewhere to go in the meantime, Fernandez said.

"It takes too long for the next step. (Creating a) 'safe ground' is just an added piece to get to the final goal, which is permanent housing."

Supporters of Ling and Lee Plead for Amnesty

2009-07-10T08:51:14Z

The goal of the vigil held to protest Laura Ling’s and Euna Lee’s 12-year labor reform sentence was clear: bring them home.

The vigil commenced at 6:30 p.m. where approximately 400 of Ling's and Lee’s friends, family and community members banded together on the Capitol West Steps in support of the two American journalists who are charged by North Korea's high court for illegal entry and engaging in "hostile acts."

Supporters donned “Free Lisa and Euna” buttons and pinned yellow ribbons to their shirts. Many held signs with pictures of the women’s faces and pleas that said “Free Laura and Euna” and “Amnesty Now.”

The vigil was opened with a prayer by Laura Ling’s cousin, Brandon Yip. Following the prayer, Yip played an acoustic guitar and sang the song “Amazing Grace.”

News 10’s Sharon Ito introduced each speaker before they approached the podium. Amoung the speakers was California State President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg.

"They are two professional American journalists. They had good intentions. It is essential that we ask our federal governemnet to ask for anmesty and mercy," said Steinberg. "Let us gather here again, on the west steps of the capitol, very soon, and in addition to all of us, let's celebrate with Laura and Euna standing right next to us!"

Other speeches were made by Linda Ng of Orgaization of Chinese-Americans, Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner, friends and classmates of Ling, Ling's husband Ian Clayton and sister Lisa Ling.

Ling told the crowd that she and Clayton had recieved a phone call from her sister on Tuesday. Laura told them that she had violated the law in North Korea, and the only hope for her and Lee's return is if the government asks North Korea for amnesty.

"That's why we are out here tonight; to ask for amnesty, but to also ask for forgivness," said Ling. "The notion of forgiveness is something that we could all use a little bit more of in our lives."

A journalist from Sactown magazine offered brief anecdotes about Lee as told to her by Lee's husband. She reminded the crowd that this situation is not just a global one, but a personal one as well.

Joan Burke, Director of Advocacy for Loaves and Fishes, also commented on the personalized aspect of Ling's and Lee's detainment in North Korea.

"I think all of us can identify with just how frightened and powerless the families of these two young women must feel to have loved ones imprisoned, incommunicado and serving 12 years at hard labor on the other side of the world," said Burke. "By our presence at the vigil, we hope to surround these families with a caring community that has not forgotten its own in their time of need."

The vigil reached its close with a final prayer, and Yip, together with Ling's and Lee's 400-plus supporters, singing "One Love."

12 Year Sentence Spurs Sacramento Vigil

2009-07-08T04:11:18Z

On June 8, American Journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee were sentenced to 12-years of "labor reform" by North Korea. This Thursday a candlelight vigil will be held on the Capitol west steps in peaceful protest.

On April 27 a vigil was held for Laura Ling and Euna Lee to raise awareness for the two journalists' detainment in North Korea. This time it is in support of the two women who face the notoriously harsh conditions of North Korea's labor camps.

The two American journalists were on assignment for Current TV, a cable and web network co-founded by Al Gore, when they were detained on March 17 and convicted of illegal entry and engaging in "hostile acts" after a four-day trial North Korea's high court.

In a letter invitation to the vigil, Ling's sister, a CNN correspondent and Sacramento native, Lisa Ling, voices her concerns about the women's condition in North Korea.

"What Laura and Euna were trying to do was give a voice to those who have none," writes Ling. "Now their voices have also been silenced. Since their detention, their health has deteriorated quite a bit, we are extremely concerned. We are making a plea for mercy with the hope that they may be released on humanitarian grounds."

Community figures such as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, California State President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, Mayor Kevin Johnson, "Good Day Sacramento" host Mark S. Allen as well as many other organizations and media are expected to be in attendance. Lee and Ling's sentence has the United States in nationwide protest and vigils will be held in other cities such as Phoenix, San Francisco, Birmingham and Washington, D.C.

Support the Ling family on Thursday evening at the Capitol's West Steps.

WHO: Lisa Ling, the Ling Family, friends and community of Sacramento

WHAT: A community gathering in support of Laura Ling and Euna Lee

TIME: 6:30 to 8 p.m.

WHERE: California State Capitol west steps (10th St. between L and N streets

What's happening at the Capitol: July 9

2009-07-07T22:52:10Z

Thursday, July 9

11:45 a.m.- 4 p.m. California Association for Micro-enterprise Opportunity (CAMEO) will be holding a legislative day near the north steps of the Capitol. It will include lunch with legislators under a tent and a presentation by Senator Leland Yee. About 40 people are expected.

5:30- 9 p.m. A gathering in support for Laura Ling and Euna Lee will be held on the west steps of the Capitol. About 100 participants are expected including Lisa Ling and her family, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, California Senate President pro Tem Darrel Steinberg and Mayor Kevin Johnson.

Vigil for local journalist, colleague detained in North Korea

2009-04-28T05:01:42Z

Imagine having family a member detained against her will in a foreign country for six weeks. That is what is happening to the families of Laura Ling, Sacramento native and Current TV reporter, and Current TV editor Euna Lee, who were both arrested by North Korean officials on March 21.

Sacramento's residents and the journalists' supporters are being asked to attend a candlelight vigil at Del Campo High School from 7 to 8 p.m. The vigil is being organized in part by Brendon McShane Creamer, creator of a Facebook group dedicated to Ling and Lee, and in part by Del Campo staff, including English teacher Jim Jordan, who was Ling's honors English teacher during her junior year in Del Campo.

The goal of the vigil is to raise awareness of the journalists' situation.

Deepak and Gotham Chopra, close family friends of the Lings, wrote in an Intent.com blog that Laura Ling and Euna Lee were detained while reporting on a story near the Chinese-North Korean border. Though they are reportedly being held in a governmental guest house, there are also reports that they will soon be tried for very serious crimes which include allegedly crossing the border illegally, and espionage.

"It was just over seven years ago that former President George W. Bush identified North Korea infamously as a member of his ‘axis of evil.’ Whether or not that was fair to begin with, today -- depending on how North Korea proceeds with Laura Ling and Euna Lee -- they now have a chance to shed the ugly stigma of that label," wrote the Chopras.

"Most people don't know that two American journalists have been held for six weeks in North Korea. We have no idea what is happening behind the scenes, but we want our government officials to negotiate for their release," said Jordan.

Laura Ling and her older sister Lisa Ling both participated in Del Campo's newspaper, and were both high school journalists. Lisa Ling is a well known reporter who is perhaps most famous for being a host on The View, numerous CNN appearances, and her investigative reporting for The Oprah Winfrey Show.

In a message on the vigil's Facebook page, Lisa Ling said that she was not attending the vigil and she asked for people to "please understand that due to the extreme sensitivity of the case, it is vital for our families to stay quiet. Please know however, that when you are out there holding those candles, that we are there with you with fires lit in our hearts."

Sacramento's vigil was originally planned in conjunction with another outside the Current TV offices in San Francisco, but both have been consolidated to the Del Campo location due to the proximity of the Current TV offices to tomorrow's Giants-Dodgers game at AT&T Park.

According to Creamer, 2,000 people are expected, mostly the 1900 students of Del Campo, but also faculty, alumni, and the family and friends of the two women. He also said Mayor Kevin Johnson's Chief of Staff Kunal Merchant will try to be there.

Currently, Creamer’s Facebook group has 2700 people, but it is growing rapidly. Creamer mentioned that "there will be [a vigil] in San Francisco if needed. It's creating its own momentum right now."

"There are vigils going on around the world," said Creamer. "There are vigils going on in Africa, Asia, Europe and North America from what I've heard."

In addition to attending the vigil, "people need to write their legislators and people in Washington as well as the media, to help keep it in the public eye. These are true journalists telling hard stories, and they are telling dangerous stories, and we need to support them," said Jordan.

Del Campo High School is located at 4925 Dewey Drive in Fair Oaks.

*Images courtesy Facebook Group 'Detained In North Korea : Journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee, please help.'