Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "local"

Keep the arts in your heart this Wednesday

2012-02-07T18:18:48Z

At this Wednesday’s Hearts for the Arts Benefit Event (6pm-9pm at Alex Bult Gallery) artists, community leaders, and Sacramento’s finest convene to celebrate and raise funds for Any Given Child Sacramento. This initiative, spearheaded by For Arts’ Sake, strives to ensure that art experiences are accessible to every child in grades K-8.

As a part of this fun, alternative event you can treat your Valentine to a night like no other, all while supporting a great cause and enjoying an evening of art, music, cocktails, and refreshments.

Esteemed auctioneer David Sobon will auction off “heart-works” donated donated by over 24 local artists, including Raphael Delgado, Shane Grammer, and Micah Crandall-Bear. Live music will be provided throughout the evening by Clemón.

All proceeds from the $30 tickets ($40 at the door) go to support Any Given Child.

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Find more detail on this event along with many more at Sacramento365.com, the year-round source for Sacramento events.

Disclosure: Written by Sacramento365.com Assistant Editor, Alison Kranz

CROCKER ART MUSEUM & ACCESS SACRAMENTO present - "A Place Called Sacramento" - Thursday 6:30 PM

2012-01-31T06:28:49Z

Access Sacramento is excited to kick off PCS 2012, our thirteenth year, on this Thursday February 2nd at the wonderful Crocker Art Museum. If you would like an opportunity to see all 10 films on the big screen in the museum's theatre, now's your chance. It's a one night only event and rare chance to see all the films from 2011 together again. We hope to see you there!

The Crocker Art is pleased to present an encore screening of the 2011 "Place Called Sacramento" film festival. Friends of Access Sacramento, PCS filmmakers and fans are invited to celebrate, again, the 10 short films first premiered last October at the Crest Theatre.

Crocker Art Museum

216 O Street

Thursday February 2, 2012

Show starts at 6:30 p.m.

Tickets: $4 for Crocker Members

Advance tickets: Non-member $8.00 (online at crockerartmuseum.org or Admission Desk)

At the door: Non-members $10.00

"A Place Called Sacramento" (PCS), is the original, local scriptwriting and short film production project for local writers and producers. PCS challenges local scriptwriters, new and experienced, to write 10-minute scripts about the people, places, and events that make our community such a unique place to live (entry forms and submission guidelines are available online at www.AccessSacramento.org. The deadline for script submission is 5pm Tuesday April 10, 2012 in the Access Sacramento office. The Crocker screening serves as the official launch of the 13th annual "PCS" production process.

Want to know more about making a movie this summer? Do you have a good story but need to write a script? All scripts entered are reviewed by local professionals and 10 are selected. These 10 scriptwriter/producers are then introduced to volunteers, actors and technicians at The PCS "Cast and Crew Call" Wednesday, May 23, 2012. Production teams are formed and shooting - editing commences during the summer months. Finally, after weeks of hard work and great fun, friends gather at the World Premiere to a packed house at the CREST Theatre 1:00 PM on Sunday, October 7, 2012. All films are family friendly. The PCS production process is unique to Sacramento.

To view the films completed for the 2011 & previous PCS film festivals, go to the web site www.AccessSacramento.org. In the twelve years of PCS, over 119 short films have been created.

Access Sacramento is a nonprofit, community media organization building better communications between individuals and groups in Sacramento County for 25 years. With our TV studio, radio and television production equipment, media lab, and mobile production truck, we train and manage volunteers, programming cable radio and television channels 17 & 18.

CONTACT: Ron Cooper, Executive Director, Access Sacramento

4623 T Street, Suite A - Sacramento, CA. 95819

(916) 456-8600 ext. 112

Disclosure: Ron Cooper is Executive Director of Access Sacramento

Getting Righteous at Thunder Valley

2012-01-30T01:30:28Z

Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame member and legendary Righteous Brother Bill Medley brought a crew of extremely talented individuals to Thunder Valley Casino Resort Friday, including daughter McKenna.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Righteous Brothers. The second half of the duo, Bobby Hatfield, died of a heart attack back in 2003; Medley now tours with the 3 Bottle Band and McKenna.

Kicking off the show was a video showing Medley as he made appearances in various shows throughout his career, including the David Letterman Show and the hit television series, Cheers. As the video ended, Medley started to sing “A Song for You” while he was still offstage. After about a minute he started to make his way to the stage, providing for a nice dramatic entrance.

71 year old Medley’s voice has taken a beating over the years. While sounding coarser and a bit rough at times, he was able to make it work. The audience was enthralled with Medley from the start as he continued with “Ready, Willing and Able” and “Soul and Inspiration.” In between songs he would talk about life and joke with the crowd.

For his hit song, “Time of My Life,” from the movie “Dirty Dancing,” Medley brought out McKenna to perform Jennifer Warnes’ part. McKenna did an awesome job and has a very melodic voice with a bit of a country/blues flavor.

McKenna went on to perform solo, singing “Silk Flowers” and “Give Me One Reason.” When McKenna completed her set, Medley sat down at the keyboards and called on band member Bob Gulley to sing some songs with him and McKenna. This is where Medley shined, providing the audience a glimpse of what it’s like to jam with the best.

3 Bottle Band has been playing together with Medley for over 35 years, and it shows. This is a very talented group of musicians including Gabe Rabben (drums), Bob Gulley (bass), Tim Lee (keyboards) and Larry Hanson (lead guitar). Also a member of the band is America’s Got Talent winner Michael Grimm. However, Grimm was not present at Friday’s show.

Creativity Revived

2012-01-21T01:04:05Z

Growing up, sometimes we forget to exercise our creative activities. For some, our creative drive dies right along with the hand-me-down car from Grandma senior year in high school. Sometimes our creative energy is put on the backburner as stresses and responsibilities of being an adult such as finding a job, keeping a job, paying bills, the mortgage and providing for our families take over… or our creative energy fades away completely.

Here in Sacramento, we love each other. We support each other. Seriously, we do. Just stop for a moment and think back on how many creative projects, ideas and businesses that have thrived in the last decade or so. Regardless if the doors of any of these ideas or businesses are still open or not, the point is... they made it happen. There is no denying the inspiration of such creative ventures have spread faster than a California wildfire during a dry, hot heat wave.

The latest album you’ve had on repeat is your best friend’s band. The last film you watched was your boyfriend’s short film that was screened at the local art collective spot. The earrings you are wearing are handmade from a local designer bought from the boutique your neighbor owns. Within the last few years Sacramento has built a pretty comfortable and welcoming cushion for the our creative class to fall on.

We were fortunate enough to have events like SellOut/Buyout, which was a combined art and trade show that called for local artists and designers. For some, Sellout/Buyout was how we were introduced to many of our favorite local designers and artists today. Annually, Sacramento hosts Launch, an art, design and music festival. Launch highlights some of the most talked about local artists, musicians and designers. Both events like Sellout/Buyout and Launch were opportunities for artists of any avenue to showcase their creative pursuits and network with like-minded people.

Julie Cassotta, 29, a Sacramento native who recently discovered her talent and love for handcrafting jewelry, recently said goodbye to an 8-5 office job to pursue more satisfying opportunities. She admits she used to do a great deal of creative writing when she was younger that she no longer does. She is also a graduate from the Elite Academy pursuing hair and makeup, but hasn’t been using those skills as much as she would like to these days.

For the last 14 years Julie has learned the art of repairing and building custom guitars at her family owned shop, SonFather Guitars, alongside her brother, Jesse and her Father, Dave. All those years working intensely with her hands has acquired her precise skills that have helped her with her jewelry designs, as she works towards a collection of hand crafted one of a kind pieces of jewelry that includes a bevy of necklaces, rings, earrings and bracelets.

For Julie, what started out as a creative hobby for herself now has her pieces for sale at Bows and Arrows Vintage clothing store in midtown Sacramento as well as her Etsy online shop, Real Life Dollhouse.

Julie's pieces are reconstructed, mixing different types of materials together such as vintage charms with modern, and she has taken the time to share some information in the interview below regarding her new jewelry designing success, and how it has revived the creativity back into her life.

Question: What inspired you to start designing jewelry?

Answer: Initially, I was frustrated with buying cheap jewelry that fell apart and not being able to afford some of the rad jewelry that I was seeing online and whatnot. I started remaking pieces that had broken or lost parts or were out of date, etc. Then one day I was looking for a lion necklace and couldn't find what I was looking for so I decided to use my inlay knowledge and make something myself. A light bulb kind of went off in my head and it just took off from there.

Question: When did you realize your creative endeavors could become more than a hobby?

Answer: I started posting some of the pieces I had made on my blog and had received great responses. I figured it was time to take it seriously and put together a collection and start an Etsy store.

Question: You know you've found the perfect material to incorporate into one of your pieces when...........

Answer: …… I find something interesting or just catches my eye really. If there's something I'm looking for but can't find, I'll try to make it myself.

Question: Do you have a plan of attack when you start creating pieces such as sketching ideas or do you just dive into it?

Answer: Both really. Sometimes I have a clear vision of what I want to make and other times, more often actually, I just look around at what I have and start piecing things together. Especially when working with natural materials like stone and wood, sometimes they have a mind of their own and will only let me manipulate them so much.

Question: You also repair guitars at your family owned custom guitar shop, SonFather Guitar. Explain how working there has influenced or helped your jewelry design?

Answer: Well, I've been working with wood from a very young age because of the shop and my father being a woodworker. The inlay aspect of guitar building has always been an interest of mine and has become a skill I have developed and specialized in for over 10 years now. The influence it has had on the jewelry is very literal and apparent, I basically use the same materials, mostly scraps or samples that we've had lying around for years. I started with the lion piece that I made for myself, then I started making similar ones for friends then I just kind of developed a "let's see what else I can do" mentality about it.

Question: Your Soapstone, Heartbeat Wooden Double Finger and Ebony and Turquoise statement rings are featured in your Etsy Shop. All very unique, and obviously hand crafted. Tell us about the work that goes into those pieces compared your reconstructed pieces.

Answer: The wood and stone work is definitely more unique and personal. A lot more work is involved. It takes time and planning, templates, samples, test runs, etc. The reconstructed pieces are simpler, easier, the kind of thing I put together sitting on the floor in my living room watching a movie. Those are more about having a good collection of interesting items to work together.

Question: Do you favor making one style of jewelry over another?

Answer: I love both really, the ones that I wear the most myself are the reconstructed ones, they're a little bit more casual, easy to wear with many different things. The statement pieces have to wait for the right occasion but they're more challenging for me to make so I take a bit more pride in those pieces.

Question: Do you have a favorite local designer(s) that createhandmade items? ( jewelry, clothes, accessories, etc.)

Answer: I have a friend in San Diego, Georgina of Trevino Joyeria, who makes fantastic jewelry. Also, Tessa Parks has been making some really rad stuff lately, although I'm not sure if she has any for sale yet.

Question: What direction do you see your jewelry designs going?

Answer: I honestly have no idea, I'm inspired by all kinds of things all the time, I think it will always be changing and evolving. I'd like to learn how to do some metal work, so maybe things will go that direction? I don't know. I'm not much of a planner. I just do things and see what happens.

Hopefully for some of you who have shelved your canvases in the depths of your closet or let dust collect on your camera in the recent years, remember why you had those items in your pocession in the first place. Make time for your long lost creative activity or try a new one you never imagined you had in you. Who's next, Sacramento?

Harlem Globetrotters at Power Balance

2012-01-16T20:41:51Z

The world renowned Harlem Globetrotters were at Power Balance Pavilion Sunday to take on the International Elite, as they went head-to-head to determine who would be the world champions.

Globie, the team mascot, came out before the show to entertain the crowd with a little bit of magic and some dance moves. As Globie strutted around like Michael Jackson the crowd went wild with some kids jumping up to dance along with Globie.

Even though the stadium was far from sold out, the audience members made up for it in enthusiasm. Throughout the game the crowd was cheering and clapping for the Globetrotters, with a few boos thrown in for team Elite.

As with all Globetrotter games this was an audience participation sport. One couple found out the hard way with the wife having her purse taken and then the husband being dragged out on the court to dance with Big Easy.

Kids joined in on the fun too, with several young kids competing for a team jersey. They had to dash across the court, shoot a basket and then head back to the other side of the court and get into a makeshift bed. The first to complete the task wins. In the end they all were winners.

Some of the Globetrotters were in town earlier to visit with fans. You can read all about their visit here.

Motown comes to Thunder Valley

2012-01-16T02:45:19Z

Armed with 20 vocalists, six band members and four crew members impersonating the legends of Motown, RPM Crown Productions brought their Hitsville USA Legends of Motown Tribute Show to Thunder Valley Casino Resort on Saturday.

There was a sold-out crowd of diehard Motown fans there to enjoy some of the greatest hits from the Motown era. It was perplexing that more people weren’t up on their feet during some of the performances. However, after each performer finished their set they were met with more than a few people giving them a standing ovation.

The all-star lineup included acts such as The Four Tops, The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, and even a brief break from Motown for a little bit of Prince’s “Purple Rain.”

With the plethora of tribute shows currently playing across the country, it’s refreshing to see a solid lineup of talented individuals bringing not just one, but nine legendary acts to the stage in one spectacular show.

I was worried that with so many acts playing on one stage we’d be there all night slogging through hit after hit. That wasn’t the case. Each act played full versions as well as shortened versions of their respective hit songs, keeping the show moving at a pretty good clip.

Emceeing the event was Nick Harper, a radio personality from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. As he introduced each act he provided a brief history and highlighted some of their hits.

Kicking off the show was The Four Tops. Decked out in white suits and moving in perfect harmony, they sang their hits, “Sugar Pie Honeybunch,” “Standing in the Shadow of Love” and “Ain’t No Woman Like the One I Got.”

Following The Four Tops were The Supremes in evening dresses singing, “Just Keep Me Hanging On,” “You Can’t Hurry Love” and “Love Child.”

Al Green was handing out roses to a number of the female audience members as he sang, “I’m so Tired of Being Alone,” “Let’s Stay Together,” and “Love and Happiness.”

And so it went throughout the evening as nine artists entertained the crowd bringing hit after hit.
Don’t miss the next tribute show at Thunder Valley Casino Resort, the Legends of Soul Tribute Show. These shows sell out fast, so get your tickets ahead of time.

Below is a complete list of artists and the songs performed.

The Four Tops
“I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)”
“Standing in the Shadows of Love”
“Ain’t No Woman (Like the One I’ve Got)”

The Supremes
“You Keep Me Hangin’ On”
“You Can’t Hurry Love”
“Love Child”

Al Green
“Tired of Being Alone”
“Let’s Stay Together”

Smokey Robinson
“More Love”
“Ooo Baby Baby”
“Tears of a Clown”

The Spinners
Intro to “I’ll Be Around”
“Ghetto Child”
“Sadie”
“Rubberband Man”

Chaka Khan
“Sweet Thing”
“I’m Every Woman”

Prince
“Purple Rain”

Gladys Knight
Intro to “Use My Imagination”
“Save the Overtime”
“You’re Number One (in My Book)”
“Midnight Train to Georgia”
“Neither One of Us”

Stevie Wonder
“Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours”
“My Cherie Amour”
“You Are the Sunshine of My Life”
“Superstition”

The Temptations
“Getting Ready”
“I Can’t Get Next to You”
“Cloud Nine”
“Don’t Let the Joneses Get You Down”
Intro to “Super Star”

Harlem Globetrotters Dribble in to Sacramento

2012-01-13T02:00:11Z

The world renowned Harlem Globetrotters are scheduled to appear at Power Balance Pavilion this Sunday.

As is customary, the Globetrotters have had a couple of players in town before the big event on Sunday. They were meeting with television and radio stations in the area, but more importantly they were getting out to meet their fans.

I was able to meet up with “Handles” Franklin and one of their newest members, “TNT” Maddox. TNT is only the ninth woman in 86 years to play with the Globetrotters and the first woman since 1993.

I found the two at the Project R.I.D.E. facility next to Jesse Baker Elementary School in Elk Grove. The two Globetrotters participated in a bit of horseplay — literally. Project R.I.D.E. offers therapeutic recreational horseback riding instruction to riders with disabilities.
When it came to mounting the horse, I have to give TNT credit. She jumped on as if she did it every day. Handles, on the other hand, was a little timid getting on his horse and looked to be a bit nervous, too.

In between horsing around, TNT talked about what it’s like being one of the few female Globetrotters.

“Honestly, it’s unbelievable to be only the ninth woman in 86 years to play for the Harlem Globetrotters,” she said. “What they’re about is charity, and we’re allowed to go to hospitals, schools and things like that and do things that money can’t buy. That’s something that’s special to me, and I’m happy to be a part of the organization.”

As she talked, she constantly had her basketball in motion, so I asked if she did this while sitting down to watch a little television. She said she has to in order to keep up with the likes of Handles and the rest of the team. Being one of the new kids on the block, the team is continually showing her new moves, so she’s constantly practicing to get up to the caliber of her teammates. Trust me — she’s already there. After only two weeks of training, she said they had her playing at a junior high school.

As for the rest of the team, it looks like this will be an exciting year with 10 new players.

The 2012 rookie class has a total of three 7-footers including 7-foot-4 Jermaine “Stretch” Middleton, the third-tallest player in team history, and 7-foot Anthony “Biggie” McClain. However, Paul “Tiny” Sturgess towers over even the tallest of the tall at a whopping 7-foot-8.
Sturgess was recently recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's tallest professional basketball player. He is also the tallest player in the Globetrotter history.

Not only do they have the tallest player in their history, but the shortest, too. Jonte “Too Tall” Hall is the shortest Globetrotter ever to play at 5-foot-2.

Other team members you may recognize are “Big Easy” Lofton and “Flight Time” Lang who, together, made their way around the world on CBS’ “The Amazing Race.”

If you’ve never seen the Globetrotters in person, you have to get off your butts and get out to Power Balance this Sunday and take in the 1 or 6 p.m. showing. These guys (and gal) are amazing to watch and extremely entertaining.

Check Moisture Before Ramping Up Landscape Irrigation, Water Providers Urge

2012-01-12T15:08:46Z

With the recent dry weather and warmer temperatures, Sacramento-area residents might be tempted to ramp up their landscape irrigation. But, the Regional Water Authority and local water providers are recommending restraint.

"Plants don't need as much water this time of year, even without rain," said Linda Yager, Regional Water Efficiency Program Manager. Lower temperatures, shorter daylight hours and moisture from fog and rain all combine to reduce the water demands of a typical landscape. Edible gardens and fruit bearing trees have special water requirements, so please consult with a landscape professional or your local Master Gardeners for more information.

The Regional Water Authority and local water providers offer the following dry winter tips for the typical landscape:

Before turning on your irrigation system, check the soil to see and feel if it is still moist by using a garden trowel or shovel to dig down about three to six inches. If the soil is dry several inches or more below the surface, water the landscape one day per week, according to your water provider's schedule.
Apply the “soak and cycle” method, which means to water your landscape on that one day and let the water soak into the soil for about an hour. Then use a trowel or shovel again to check the soil moisture. If the soil is moist to a depth of three inches or so, you’ve probably watered enough. If the soil is only moist down to a depth of an inch or two, you may need to irrigate for a little longer.
Understand that if you have the type of lawn that is dormant in the winter, it will not likely need supplemental water.
Once the rains begin, remember to turn the irrigation system off again.

"The variations in rainfall from year to year are a constant reminder for all of us to use only what we need," Yager said. "Rain or shine, we should be good stewards of our water resources--for the health of the Sacramento region, the state’s economy and to ensure it is available today and for future generations."

For more information about free water-efficiency services and rebates, as well as tips for using less water now, residents can contact their local water provider or visit the Be Water Smart Web site at bewatersmart.info.

About the Regional Water Authority: RWA is a joint powers authority representing 24 water providers and affiliates in the greater Sacramento area. Its primary mission is to help its members protect and enhance the reliability, availability, affordability and quality of water resources.

Disclosure: Christine Kohn is the public outreach coordinator for the Regional Water Authority.

Sacramento Moving Company Honored by US Commerce Association

2012-01-03T18:52:09Z

Sacramento, CA — The U.S. Commerce Association recently recognized Tony’s Sons Moving & Storage with the “Best of Rancho Cordova Award” in the Moving Company category for the 2011 business year.

According to company owner, Bruce Fasolo, receiving the award was a great way to finish up a good year in 2011. “It’s an honor to be recognized as being the best at what you do in your community, said Fasolo. “Our company is looking forward to trying to earn this award again in 2012, which marks our 47th year of helping Sacramento residents and businesses with their relocation and storage needs.”

Fasolo’s father, Anthony Fasolo, started the family business in 1965. Over the years, Tony’s Sons Moving & Storage has built a reputation for friendly, reliable service. The company has been a Better Business Bureau (BBB) accredited business since the year 2000, and currently maintains an A+ rating.

“One of the keys to our success is that we get a lot of repeat business,” Fasolo said. “We have customers that we’ve moved four or five times over the last couple decades. We even move multiple generations of families. Customers that we’ve helped moved in the past, often refer us to their kids or even their grandkids.”

Promptly responding to customer calls and providing affordable estimates helps keep Tony’s Sons Moving & Storage ahead of its competition. “I handle the majority of our sales and provide in-home estimates that are usually much lower than our competitors,” Fasolo said. “Having the owner of the company show up at your home or business to complete the estimate establishes a lot of trust for the customer. No job is too small. If someone lives in a one-bedroom unit, I have no problem going to their home to provide a fair and accurate estimate for their move.”

Tony’s Sons Moving & Storage currently has 15 employees and averages approximately 150 moves per month. Second-generation owner, Bruce Fasolo assumed management duties of the company when his father retired in 1995. The company maintains memberships to a variety of housing and apartment associations in the Sacramento area and donates boxes to the Rancho Cordova Fire Department each year. For more information, call Bruce Fasolo at (916) 638-1888 or visit Sacramento Movers.

CD review: Nathan Dale's "Major Keys Parade"

2012-01-03T02:47:34Z

Nathan Dale is a singer, songwriter and guitarist from Sacramento. Some locals may remember Dale as the founding member of Sweet Vine back in the 90’s. The band went on to sign with Columbia Records, recording their self-titled CD at the famed Bearsville Studios in Woodstock, New York. The band toured nationwide before separating in the late 1990's.

Dale currently tours with The Jackie Greene Band and has recently release his own CD, “Major Keys Parade.” After listening to his new CD, it became quite obvious that Dale is an extremely diverse musician. The album has a little something for everyone including a little rock, folk and even a tad bit of a Hawaiian sound.

The CD starts off with “Him,” a brief instrumental with the sound of an old style film projector starting up. As it happens, the last song, appropriately named, “The End,” is another brief instrumental which winds down with the sound of the same old style film coming off the reel. Nice touch.

As you get into the meat of the album with “Ten Tiny Fingers,” you feel like you just walked under the big top. Sounding more like a circus waltz, this song might have been better played on a calliope rather than a piano. I didn’t care for the circus beat, but about halfway through it faded into the background.

Next was “Major Keys Parade,” which has an awesome driving beat with some equally awesome guitar riffs. Couple that with some great background vocals playing off of Dale’s chorus and you have one pumped up song that is deserving of the title slot.

“My Wonder Girl” is a great tune that really brings home the folk rock, weaving a tale of a young boy in love with a young girl. Followed by “Oh Messiah,” they are both great folk style tunes.

The CD takes a turn to the darker side with “One Bad Day,” followed by an even darker tune, “Way Down.” The latter has some really awesome guitar riffs bringing out the hard rock side of Dale. This song reminds me a lot of some of Alice Cooper’s work - yes it’s that dark - exquisitely so.

“With the Sea,” is a Hawaiian style tune that really rounds out the CD, showing just how diverse of a sound Dale has.

Using his music as his canvas, Dale paints his heart and soul into everything he writes, each song painting a story for all to hear. His latest CD is worth a listen. It’s a great album with some very diverse songs, leaving you wondering what other sounds Dale might have up his sleeve. I guess we’ll have to wait for his next CD to find out.

You can find out more about Dale’s latest projects at http://www.nathandale.com

Catch Nathan Dale at Naked Coffee in Sacramento on January 4th at 8:30. They are located at 1111 H Street.

Sinbad

2012-01-03T02:41:36Z

The purple one was in-the-house at Thunder Valley Casino Resort Friday.

Okay, not The Purple One (as in Prince), but the 55 year old standup comedian Sinbad, who was decked out in a freshly tailored purple shirt. I also wouldn’t say “in-the-house,” more like in-the-tent, since it was held in Thunder Valley’s Holiday Pavilion. While it’s a tent, it’s extremely spacious and exquisitely decorated, complete with several bars, restrooms and a whole lotta seats.

Sinbad put on a great show, playing to a full house of young and old alike. As soon as he hit the stage, he started talking about how this was such a great location for a casino like Thunder Valley.

There’s nothing around for miles except for cornfields and a landfill, he joked. He warned everyone that they should hold their breath when they walk outside and then come back inside and gamble some more, referring to the occasional minor aroma coming from the landfill a few miles down the road.

Continuing his rant about the location, he explained that after he put the address into his GPS, it asked him why he wanted to go there.

Sinbad wanted to know why it is 1200 Athens Road when there’s nothing around. Who came up with the number 1200, he wondered. There’s nothing around for miles, so why not a 1?

As he was going through his routine, bantering back and forth with audience members, he asked the ladies in the audience what made them angry. Several shouted out “Cheating!” To which he replied, if a man cheats or if he leaves the cabinet door open, you’re just as pissed. It’s the same thing, so why not cheat.

He’d rather not, but give us some options, he pleaded.

He also wanted to know why it is that everyone says it’s the man that’s cheating. There’s always a woman he’s cheating with. Sinbad used Herman Cain as his specific example for the evening.

Continuing with his questions for the ladies he asked them what they wanted and in time, dealt with a number of responses; money, communication, sleep and sex among them.

The best part of Sinbad’s shows will always be his interaction with the audience, responding without skipping a beat, and joking about real life situations. A fun time was definitely had by all in attendance.

As Sinbad ages like a fine wine (in his purple shirt), his jokes remain fresh. Add to the mix his quick wit and audience participation, and you end up with a very entertaining night out.

It’s refreshing to listen to a comedian who doesn’t believe he has to be crude to make people laugh. Sinbad is one of the few remaining comedians that puts on a clean and entertaining show.

TV for the Holidays - Access Sacramento Channel 17

2011-12-19T18:53:44Z

Show the NBA you don't need their back-to-back B-ball to enjoy the holiday spirit. During those lulls in family "How have you been?" catching up, endless high calorie snacking, and playing (breaking?) the kid's brand new toys, enjoy local holiday programming made by your neighbors right here in Sacramento County. Here's the schedule of special events - a "snapshot" of our Christmas weekend programming on Channel 17 and streamed on our web site at www.AccessSacramento.org - ENJOY - Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Saturday, December 24, 2011

“Celebration Of Lights” – 9:00am

“Kid’s Corp Christmas Special” – 11:30am

“Giving – Winter Wonderland & Raley Field” – 12:00Noon

“Terry Moore Christmas Special” – 12:00Noon

“Dancing With The Stars” – 1:00pm

“Veteran’s Day Parade” – 3:00pm

“Happy Rhythm 2011 Christmas” – 4:30pm

“LiveWire! Santa Christmas Special” – 5:00pm

“Sacramento Dances – Let’s Dance Ballroom’s 2011 Holiday Gala” – 7:00pm

“Club Karo’ky Xmas Show” – 8:00pm

“Christmas With Sister Swing” – 9:00pm

“The Crib (stage play)” – 11:00pm

Sunday, December 25, 2011

“LiveWire! Santa Christmas Special” – 9:00am

“Sacramento Dances – Let’s Dance Ballroom’s 2011 Holiday Gala” – 11:00am

“Club Karo’ky Xmas Show” – 12:00Noon

“Christmas With Sister Swing” – 1:00pm

“Agape Christian Fellowship Xmas Special” – 4:00pm

“Giving – USAF Band of the Golden West” – 5:00pm

“Happy Rhythm 2011 Christmas Special” – 7:00p

“Celebration Of Lights” – 7:30pm

“Chinese Culture 25th Anniversary Celebration” – 10:00pm

All cablecasts will be on Comcast/Surewest Channel 17 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99, Pacific Daylight/Standard Time. What? You don't have those services? Not to worry, you can also view the programs on our website at www.accesssacramento.org, at the times listed above. Feel free to share this schedule with your friends! Most of the above programs are also posted on Comcast "On-Demand" channel 1 under "Get Local" and "Access Sacramento". Thank you for your support of local community and public access television in Sacramento County.

Disclosure: Ron Cooper is Executive Director of Access Sacramento

Watch "Dancing with the Capitol Stars" Sunday 5 PM on Access Sacramento Channel 17

2011-12-17T07:19:18Z

In case you missed it, or want to see it again, tune into Access Sacramento's Channel 17 - (Comcast and Surewest Cable) this Sunday, Dec 18th from 5:00-7:00pm and see the Sacramento Press Club's "Dancing with the Capitol Stars"!

Hear our MC, Dennis Mangers open with an amazing rendition of "Let's Face the Music and Dance" and enjoy his quips through the show.
Ooh and aah at our dancing stars who tango'd, foxtroted and waltzed their way across the stage in their battle for the coveted Mirror Ball Trophy. (Starring: Edie Lambert, Lloyd Levine, Roger Niello, Alyson Huber, Fiona Ma, Ed Fletcher, Brian Joseph, Juliet Williams, Judy Lin, Kevin Riggs, Karen Skelton & Christina Anderson)
Delight in the insightful and sometimes outlandish comments from our judges (Dan Walters, Cristina Mendonsa & Ron Cunningham.)
Laugh out loud at Senator Darrell Steinberg's comedic look back at the Sacramento Press Club's 50th Anniversary (and yes, he really did sing!!)...
And you won't want to miss the honoring of a giant in journalism, Columnist George Skelton.
Event produced by Sharon Gerber and Six Degrees Productions

For those not within TV range in Sacramento County it will also be streamed live on www.AccessSacramento.org. Spread the word - no one should miss this unique show! If you're not near a TV this Sunday the show will also run on these dates/times:Monday, December 19th @ 9:00amTuesday, December 20th @ 1:00amSaturday, December 24th @ 1:00pmSaturday, December 31st @ 10:30pmFriday, January 6, 2012 @ 8:00pmSaturday, January 7th @ 12:00pmSunday, January 8th @ 4:00am All cablecasts will be on Comcast/Surewest Channel 17 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99, Pacific Daylight/Standard Time, unless otherwise specified. What? You don't have those services? The Internet stream is not video on demand. Thank you for your support of The Sacramento Press Club as well as local community and public access television in Sacramento County.

Happy Holidays!

Disclosure: Ron Cooper is Executive Director of Access Sacramento

Jingle Bells Rock Thunder Valley

2011-12-17T02:39:29Z

Sixty-two-year-old veteran rocker Eddie Money brought his Jingle Bell Rock tour to Thunder Valley Casino Resort on Thursday. Scheduled to appear was former Foreigner frontman Lou Gramm and former Jefferson Starship lead singer Mickey Thomas.

The day before their performance at Thunder Valley, it was announced that Gramm would not be performing for the remaining tour due to acute laryngitis, so Gramm was not in attendance.

As the concert kicked off with Money and Thomas taking the stage, the audience immediately started chanting, “Lou! Lou! Lou!” Money responded by explaining the situation and said they had added a couple of songs to their setlist to make up for the missing Gramm. This was followed by more than a few polite boos – is there really such a thing as a polite boo?

Money exited stage left while Thomas started singing “Jane.” Thomas wore a striped shirt with a loosely worn red Christmas tie, while he banged out “Sara,” “We Built This City,” “Nothings Going to Stop Us Now.” Thomas ended his set with “It’s Christmas Time Pretty Baby,” singing in the style of Elvis Presley.

The 62-year-old Thomas’ vocals really stood out throughout his set, sounding just as good as he did all those years ago, in particular when he sang Annie Lennox’s “Winter Wonderland.”

Backing Thomas was Money’s regular crew consisting of longtime band members Tommy Girvin (lead guitar) and Glenn Symmonds (drummer), with more recent additions Lee Beverly (bass) and Chris Groves (keyboards).

Following Thomas, Money came out singing “Baby Hold On” and “I Wanna Go Back.” As Money sang, he shuffled back and forth across the stage and even pulled out the saxophone to show everyone he can still play.

Rounding out the show, Money and Thomas took the stage together singing “Jingle Bell Rock” and a rocking version of “Jingle Bells.” For their encore they performed John Lennon’s “Happy Xmas (War Is Over).”

While Money’s vocals were not as pristine as Thomas’, he made up for it with his overall stage presence, sense of humor and kindness toward the audience, reaching out to shake hands with a few people in the front row.

Offstage, Money is extremely generous and cordial to all those around him, introducing himself to anyone standing near. His generosity doesn’t stop there.

Money is a strong supporter of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, which helps support families of military personnel lost in service to our nation and for severely wounded service members and veterans.

Money is hoping fans will help bring some holiday cheer to heroic members of the armed forces by going to eddiemoney.com and purchasing his single “One More Soldier Coming Home.” All the proceeds will go to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.

Kicking it at Thunder Valley

2011-12-13T02:42:34Z

A few weeks ago I covered the Chippendales out at Thunder Valley Casino Resort. If you recall, I really started to question my “maleness,” since I kind of enjoyed the show. So to test my maleness I decided to take in a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event.

It just so happened that Gladiator Challenge, a promoter of all things MMA, was hosting an event out at Thunder Valley Casino Resort. There were sixteen fights on tap, so I was going to get my fill of fights.

It was nice of Gladiator Challenge to have some really nice young ladies walking around in between rounds letting us know what round it was. I found them extremely helpful.

For those of you who may not know, an MMA event consists of two fighters getting into a cage that resembles a boxing ring, only this ring has a cyclone fence encircling it so spectators don’t end up getting a lap dance from one of the fighters being thrown out of the ring. There are three rounds for non-championship matches and five rounds for championship matches, with each round lasting five minutes each with one minute breaks in between.

The two fighters wear small gloves and have complete control of their fingers, unlike boxing gloves. Some wear little booties while others go barefoot. I guess they probably don’t call them little booties. Let me see - tiny little shoes?

Just prior to entering the ring their faces are given a coat of grease. As the half-naked men enter the ring you get a sense that the grease is bothering them, because that’s when they start looking all mean and nasty like they want to kill somebody.

Keep in mind this is the first time I’ve watched an MMA match, so I’m still somewhat unclear as to the rules. It appears that once they’re in the ring, they are required to run around in circles screaming at the audience and pounding their chests for effect – such brutes.

With sixteen fights scheduled, I thought I would be there for quite some time. Turns out these fights don’t last nearly as long as a boxing match. Most ended just minutes into the first round. A couple went to the second round and that was it. One ended within 45 seconds!

First up were John Younger and John David Reynolds. Reynolds, fists blazing, had Younger on the mat in a little over a minute and BAM! Game over.

In the fourth bout it was Jamie Hantz and John Wigglesworth, with Hantz winning by a technical knockout. Hantz came into the ring kicking and screaming – seriously kicking, because he proceeded to kick the crap out of Wigglesworth. I don’t think Hantz threw a punch. All I saw were his legs pumping out the kicks.

Oh, yeah. In between bouts someone had the unlucky role of cleaning up the blood spattered on the mat. Oh, joy.

There were several title fights, which I’ve listed below with the winner in bold.

Light Heavyweight Title: Don “The Predator” Frye vs. Reuben Villareal
Heavyweight Title: Rob “The Caveman” Jackson vs. Josh Appelt
Welterweight Title: Jeff Morris vs. Justin Baseman
Super Fight Title: Chris Wood vs. Cal Worsham

Air Supply in demand at Thunder Valley

2011-12-12T03:12:11Z

Wow. What the hell happened out at Thunder Valley Casino Resort Friday night?

It seems soft rock group Air Supply, playing to a packed house of lovesick fans, actually came out and rocked the house.

I know. I still don’t believe it, but it’s all true! It was bedlam, I tell you.

“Here I Am” thinking “Sweet Dreams.” What are the “Chances” I would find myself in a “Sanctuary” where “Me Like You” can feel “The Power of Love” “Everywhere,” only to have a real rock concert break out. Seriously!

Air Supply started out innocently enough with “Even the Nights are Better,” and then segueing into “Every Woman in the World.”

OK so far, but as veteran performers Russell Hitchcock (lead singer) and Graham Russell (lead guitar) weaved their hits through the guise of soft rock, I should have noticed the younger band members standing at the ready. That should have been my first clue.

The newest members to the band could have been playing for Papa Roach the way they were attacking their instruments, running and jumping around the stage. This should have been my second clue.

Jonni Lightfoot (bass guitar), CJ Burton (drums), Amir Efrat (keyboards) and Aaron McLain (guitar), all kicked out some serious tunes.
As the band made their way through their repertoire, the crowd started to react more and more with every hit played, but that all changed when Russell went acoustic with their new song, “Everywhere.” Just prior to the song, Russell requested that some audience members crowd down on the floor in front of him, having them sit on the floor.

While everyone was gathering around Russell, he explained how he enjoys sitting on his balcony at home and looking off into the mountains. He pointed to the spotlight, saying it represents the sun going down, and you all are the mountains.

“This song is about how love is all around us, and it’s called ‘Everywhere,’” he said.

Now I know you’re asking yourself, how is this not soft rock? Well, it is, but it’s really rocking in a Tesla/Eric Clapton unplugged kind of way.

But really the trick here is how Air Supply corralled a large portion of the audience to the very front of the stage and between the aisles. As soon as Russell was done with “Everywhere,” the band struck up “The One that You Love,” and Hitchcock headed out into the sea of madness, followed by Russell on guitar, neither of them missing a beat. That’s when they begin working the crowd into a complete frenzy.

Hitchcock was handing out hugs and kisses as he made his way up one aisle and down another. Women were grabbing at him as his crew fought to keep them at bay. Once they made their way back onstage, it was too late for the audience. They were under Air Supply’s spell, swaying to the music, with the periodic fan jumping up to grab Russell as he came close to the edge of the stage.

For their encore they played “Me Like You” and “All Out of Love.” It was quite obvious the crowd was not ready to leave, and there could only have been a handful of people who left before the end of the show.

I hate to say it, but Air Supply is a master of entertainment. There, I said it.

I like Air Supply.

Blame Sally performs at KVIE

2011-12-07T02:30:05Z

Public Broadcasting’s KVIE studios in Sacramento was transformed into a concert venue Saturday night as Blame Sally took the stage for a fundraiser.

This was not your run of the mill fundraiser either. KVIE recorded the performance and will be using the footage to produce a PBS Special, which will ultimately be used in pledge drives across the country and made available in DVD format.

So why choose Blame Sally for such an event? KVIE is using Blame Sally to show women of all ages, middle age in particular, that you can accomplish so much more. In their 30’s and 40’s they put their individual careers on hold to start Blame Sally. As a role model, Blame Sally proves that women in their 30’s and 40’s can get together and form, of all things, a rock band. Let me add – a successful and great sounding rock band.

Not only are they an inspiration to women around the world, but to anyone out there who has thought about walking away from their career to pursue their bliss.

Blame Sally had a large contingent of diehard fans in attendance, with most traveling from the San Francisco Bay Area by car, train and bus. Okay, not so sure if anyone took a bus, but I did talk to someone who took the train from Berkley. It took her four cabs to finally find a driver who knew how to get to the KVIE studios.

This was my first Blame Sally concert, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had listened to some of their music prior to attending the show to see what I was in for, so I knew I was going to enjoy their sound, which I did – immensely.

What I didn’t expect was the relaxing back and forth banter amongst the group. They looked completely at home as no less than eight cameras were rolling, including a boom camera reaching out over the audience zooming in on unsuspecting band members and concert goers alike.

Blame Sally kicked it off with “Big Big Bed” off of their latest album, “A Speeding Ticket and a Valentine.” Pam Delgado was on percussions, Renee Harcourt on guitar/bass, Jeri Jones on guitar/bass and Monica Pasqual on piano and accordion. All band members share the responsibility of lead vocals and switch off as the song dictates.

I totally missed the fact that there was a man playing bass. Rob Strom, who recently joined Blame Sally, could be seen in the background. All I had to do was focus and look beyond all the stunning beauty at the front of the stage. Not to say Rob isn’t stunning, he is – at least when he’s playing with Blame Sally.

The only case of nerves I noticed? As they were a few chords into their second song, Pasqual shouted “Cut!” stating she started off with the wrong chords because she was just noticing all the cameras.

Pasqual didn’t leave it at that either. Just prior to “Orange,” she was ready to go with her accordion at the ready. Only problem was, the song called for keyboards. It was comical as the band members would exchange barbs back and forth during times like this.

They had plenty of time to exchange those barbs too. Why? In between songs Jones and Harcourt would tune their guitars. Okay, Harcourt would sometimes tune her guitar and then wait for Jones to finish tuning hers, but that was all good. During those times it was as if I was at a comedy club with the jokes going back and forth.

Let me see, there were comments about someone’s new hairdo, wardrobe malfunctions, instrument malfunctions and so much more. You’ll have to wait for the DVD.

For their last song, Delgado led the audience through a chorus of do-da’s and da-doo’s or some such nonsense. Did I say nonsense? I don’t think so. The result was nothing short of amazing. She taught the audience their part and explained that everyone was to start as soon as she signaled to them. The audience started right on cue. As the song started to come to a close, the instruments started to slowly die down with the audience still singing. It was a serious goosebump moment. The song? Again, you’re going to have to wait for the DVD!

If you’re in the Bay Area make sure you catch Blame Sally at Berkeley’s Freight and Salvage Coffeehouse on December 9th. They will be touring out of state during January and February, returning to California in March. Their complete schedule can be viewed at http://blamesally.com/shows/

Give them a listen – you’ll be glad you did, and if for some reason you don’t like them? Blame Sally, not me.

Reunion Tour comes back and wins the Indoor Kickball Championship

2011-12-06T16:07:41Z

In the Xoso Sport & Social League final Indoor Kickball season of the year, and a championship game that featured the regular season's top two teams, #2 Reunion Tour pulled away from #1 Turn Your Head and Cough to win the 2011 Late Fall Indoor Kickball title 18-9.

Playoff night (last night) kicked off with the play-in matchup of #4 Balls to the Wall versus #5 The A-Team. Balls to the Wall (4-4) built a 19-6 lead after four innings but The A-Team (3-5) rallied with three runs in the fifth and eight more in the sixth before coming up short 19-17.

#4 Balls to the Wall advanced to the first semifinal where they faced #1 Turn Your Head and Cough (6-2). After holding Balls to the Wall scoreless for the first three innings, Turn Your Head and Cough steadily built a 16-1 lead going into the bottom of the sixth. Balls to the Wall was able to put six runs on the board before being shut down for a final score of 16-7.

The other playoff semifinal pitted #2 Reunion Tour (6-2) against #3 Gryffindor (5-3). Reunion Tour jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning before running away with the game 18-4 to set up a title showdown with #1 Turn Your Head and Cough.

This season's final presented an opportunity for Turn Your Head and Cough to avenge their only two losses of the season, both at the hands of Reunion Tour, 10-9 and 21-12. With excellent defense played by both sides and a scoreless tie after two innings, the game seemed headed for a low scoring finish. The Reunion Tour offense woke up with four runs in the third inning and tacked on eight more in the fourth with the help of "double damage" to lead 12-5 after four innings. Reunion Tour pushed the score to 18-6 in the top half of the sixth inning before putting away Turn Your Head and Cough by the final score of 18-9.

Cheers to the 2011 Late Fall Champions, Reunion Tour, and to all the teams for a great season! Many of the teams will now be moving over to coed dodgeball or volleyball during the winter months, so we'll see who comes out on top next time...

Disclosure: Nick is the founder of Xoso.

KVIE PBS Teams up with Blame Sally

2011-11-29T04:17:06Z

I was recently approached by Todd Wagner at Ninth Street Opus to help publicize an upcoming event over at Public Television’s KVIE in Sacramento. Ninth Street Opus represents a San Francisco all-female group, Blame Sally, scheduled to perform at the KVIE TV station on Saturday, December 3.

KVIE and Blame Sally are working together to create a pledge program to help raise money for Public Television on a national level. KVIE will be filming Blame Sally during their performance and using the footage to produce a PBS special which will ultimately be used in their pledge drives across the country.

I don’t think I need to go on about the value of public television and what it means for the community as a whole, but I do want to make sure that everyone understands who Blame Sally is and why they were chosen to perform at KVIE.

PBS wants to use Blame Sally as a role model for women everywhere. They are an example of healthy, authentic women, proud of their age and defying the odds by forming a successful rock band in their 40’s and 50’s. What they have accomplished is an inspiration to women across America.

Blame Sally is a little bit country, a little bit of rock, a little bit of folk and a whole lot of heart. They have been compared to the Indigo Girls, Dixie Chicks and even Radiohead - but forget about all that, because one day some all-female band is going to come along and they will be compared to Blame Sally.

The band is made up of four young women, alright, let’s say four not-so-young women. They bring a lifetime of love, happiness, disappointment, trials and tribulations, and really just a whole lot of life to the table. It shows in their music, especially in their latest album, “A Speeding Ticket and a Valentine.”

A few tracks really stood out on their fifth album, “Living Without You,” named for a hard-rocking song about a woman uncertain whether to be devastated or exhilarated by a relationship’s end. “Countdown,” with its driving beat and “Big Big Bed,” which you gotta love simply because of the washboard playing in the background, are just a couple of them.

So who are these women of wisdom and why do they work together so well?

Pam Delgado, on percussion and vocals, wishes she still owned the family car from when she was just a kid. It was a Lavender Pontiac Bonneville complete with a Clamshell from Sears.

Renee Harcourt on guitar, bass and vocals is really the talented one out of the four, but don’t tell the others that. She can juggle, ride a unicycle and whistle loudly with or without fingers, though not all at the same time and hopefully not onstage.

Jeri Jones is on guitar, bass and vocals. I tried to call Jeri but never did get through. All I heard on the other end of the phone was, “Who the &$@%# is calling me before I’ve had my morning coffee!”

I did hear she’s prone to pre-coffee accidents. Luckily all their performances are late in the day.

Monica Pasqual, on piano, accordion and vocals, has started a billion songs and never finished them. There’s something about being superstitious when it comes to songwriting. She has to have at least two good verses and a chorus before she can walk away, otherwise it’s a lost cause.

All the other songs she’s completed? Perfection.

Together these women make up Blame Sally. Granted, they are an odd bunch and there’s not a Sally in the lot, but it doesn’t matter as long as they keep pumping out some really awesome tunes.

Get out there and show your support for Public Television and Blame Sally.

I'll see you there.

You can get more information here.

Where:
KVIE TV Station
2030 W. El Camino Ave. Sacramento, Calif. 95833

When:
Saturday, December 3
7:00-8:30 p.m. and 9:00-10:30 p.m.

Cost:
Regular Admission: Per Show: $25 / Both Shows: $45 (150 seats available)
VIP Seating: Per Show: $100 (Only 50 VIP seats available!)

Christmas with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra

2011-11-21T03:25:35Z

The Trans-Siberian Orchestra mesmerized the audience Saturday afternoon at Power Balance Pavilion in the first of two Christmas shows.

For those of you who may not be familiar with TSO, they are a progressive rock band that incorporates classical, orchestral, symphonic and progressive elements into hard rock and heavy metal. They are famous for their series of rock operas and storytelling.

This was a high-energy show with a combination of lasers, lights, pyrotechnics and video screens all synchronized to TSO’s music.

Dressed in black, the orchestra made their way on stage while chimes were playing. As they were assembling onstage, there were clips of Martin Luther King Jr. from the famous "I Have a Dream" speech, as well as John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan and others, with each round of new faces drawing applause and cheers. Once onstage they started playing “Who I Am,” with video screens and lights blazing in perfect unison.

The talented storyteller Phillip Brandon started weaving a tale of an angel coming down to Earth on Christmas Eve. Brandon’s phenomenal voice, reminiscent of the famous James Earl Jones, drew the crowd into the tale as a hush came over the audience. After the introduction, the orchestra started playing “An Angel Came Down,” complete with lights and lasers.

As the orchestra began “First Snow,” it actually started to snow in the arena. OK, not really snow, but the pretend kind of snow. You know the one with tiny bubbles raining down? Couple that with all the video screens filled with snow added to the sensation of real snow. It was quite breathtaking, leaving the audience in complete awe as they listened to an extremely talented line-up of musicians.

A newcomer to TSO, violinist Asha Mevlana was off the charts rocking it with her purple high-tech violin. As she ended a solo routine, the crowd gasped in unison as she snapped her bow in half over her knee, ending the song. This was so much more dramatic than smashing a guitar to smithereens, since it was completely unexpected.

As they wrapped up the story, the orchestra treated the audience to a number of songs, including a mix from one of their albums, “Christmas Canon Rock,” at which point they brought out founder, composer and producer Paul O’Neill.

This was my first exposure to TSO, and I have to say they left me wanting more, even after a two-and-a-half-hour performance.

Chippendales seducing the ladies

2011-11-18T02:56:36Z

OMG! I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to write this after the Chippendale’s performance at Thunder Valley Casino Resort Wednesday night.

It was only after taking a cold shower and having a glass – scratch that – a bottle of wine that I was able to start thinking clearly.

What? No! The water heater went out and a “glass” of wine is how I like to end my day.

My intent on writing this is to warn any unsuspecting women who may decide to take in a show like the Chippendales’. Don’t. Seriously, nobody liked the show!

It was quite obvious that every woman in the place, which was around 99.9 percent of the people, couldn’t stand the show. I couldn’t believe it! I was completely dumbfounded. They were screaming “Get off!” almost the entire show. The Chippendales never got the message. They stayed onstage the whole time!

The strange thing is when they finally ended the show and did get off the stage, all the women started screaming “More, more, more.” I know, I find women confusing, too. They say one thing and mean another. (Come to think of it, they may have been screaming “Take it off!”)

As for the men onstage, I felt bad for these guys. It appeared to be a little chilly in the room, but that didn’t seem to dampen their enthusiasm. All I can say is I was feeling a tad inadequate at this point.

The biggest criticism I have of the show? It was the most disgusting display of pure animalistic behavior I have ever witnessed. It was really quite a sight to see. None of the women could keep it together. They were falling over in the aisles, standing on chairs, trying to get back stage, onstage, or anywhere close to those big hunks. Now hold on a minute! I’m only referring to them as big hunks because I know that’s how women refer to those large glistening bodies of pure muscle and all their gyrating ways.

I will say there was definitely an excitement in the air as the show progressed, but it’s difficult for me to explain the atmosphere. I liken it to when I receive a package from FedEx that I have to sign for because I know it’s got to be something really cool, otherwise I wouldn’t have to sign for it. Well, that’s the way all the ladies were acting, but I guess they weren’t interested in a FedEx package.

Speaking of packages – the Chippendales were the complete package, with eight of the most physically perfect male dancers all competing for the audience’s attention, all dressed in their trademark bow ties and shirt cuffs with bare torso, at least some of the time.

The opening was quite dramatic with the stage dark and ominous and smoke filling the air. One by one they took center stage with a lone spotlight lighting their muscular curves and superior physique. Is it getting hot in here?

The first few routines found these delectable morsels stripping down to pretty much nothing – why do I keep writing like this? Delectable morsels? Now I’m starting to worry.

As each layer came off, the decibel levels in Pano Hall rose exponentially. People were gathering outside trying to get a glimpse of the show. Quite the curious crowd.

A couple of times during the show, they danced around the audience, going down aisles and over chairs. One of the Chippendales was looking for someone to give an autographed poster to. He found her when he exclaimed she deserved it for grabbing his penis. Yes – there you have it. I said it, now it’s out there for all to see.

Several people had the opportunity to jump onstage. In one case three ladies were in a game show where they were told to complete a task. The first one had to perform her best lap dance on one of the Chippendales. The second had to demonstrate her favorite position when making love, and the third had to demonstrate her favorite way of putting on a condom. The third won due to her technique and the timely fashion of completing her task. Oh – I should clarify. She put it on a banana.

This was definitely ladies’ night out. There were a few men in attendance, and you could tell which ones were straight. They were carrying a ball and chain and didn’t look all too happy. I believe my count was two husbands/significant others in attendance.

The show was so successful that Thunder Valley had to provide additional seats to accommodate the larger-than-expected crowd.

After the show, the Chippendales remained onstage so audience members could have their photos taken with their favorites. I declined. They also announced they would be going to Thunder Valley’s Falls Bar for an after-party. [Insert loud cheers here.]

So at the end of the day I feel like I was able to embrace my inner gayness and survive. As I’m sitting here writing this, I’m convinced that I have no lingering side effects from the show.

Man on the street: If given $100 to spend on a locally owned business in Sacramento, how would you spend it?

2011-11-17T07:11:12Z

Mom-and-pop stores and locally owned businesses are often the ones that suffer when consumers tighten up their budget during tough economic times. With the local economy in mind, The Sacramento Press asked locals if they were given $100 to spend on a locally owned business in Sacramento, how would they spend it?

"I support a lot of the small businesses throughout Sacramento, or mom-and-pop (stores), because they are the bread and butter of today's economy,” Financial Analyst Soua Lee, 27, said.

Lee, a Rosemont resident, said that he would spend it on groceries at Vang’s Market, a grocery store.

"I have to say, I would spend my $100 on a place called Crimson and Clover. It's a really really small store on 16th Street," Barista Terra Lopez, 26, said. "I have a hard time buying stuff for myself, so I would probably buy my girlfriend something."

She said that she would buy her girlfriend some jewelry or nice dresses. With the cheap prices, she said that she could buy a couple pairs of shoes and two dresses and still have some left for jewelry.

"A lot of places have closed – unfortunately – that I really loved," Lopez said.

Lopez, a Midtown resident, said that she loved UnitedState Clothing Boutique – a clothing store on J Street that is now out of business.

"I really like the Toyroom on K Street, but they don't exist anymore," Zoo Fabrication Designer Kevin Holmes, 25, said. "They had an art gallery for local artists, (the clothing brand) Obey got in there a couple of times, and they sell really sick T-shirts."

Holmes, a resident of East Sacramento, said he would spend his money on a local art place. Unfortunately, he said, his favorite closed down.

"I like supporting local art and music," Holmes said. "I would either go to five different rock shows at local bars, or go buy one badass painting."

"I'd probably take a bunch of friends to Pizza Rock for pizza and beer," Downtown Guide Gary Mclaughlan, 57, said.

He added that $100 would probably only go as far as pizza and a couple pitchers of beer.

"(My boyfriend and I) would spend the $100 at G Spot, it's the adult store next to the Hot Rod’s in the Lavender district," Sacramento City College Student Rainie Costello, 21, said.

Costello, a North Highlands resident, said that she would buy some adult toys and clothes and a pair of stripper shoes.

If you were given $100 to spend on a locally owned business in Sacramento, how would you spend it? Share your response in the comment section below.

Cirque Shanghai’s Bai Xi

2011-11-14T04:21:33Z

The Cirque Shanghai’s Bai Xi put on a breathtaking show Thursday and Friday night at Thunder Valley Casino Resort, playing to a standing room-only crowd both nights.

Bai Xi translates to “100 amazing acts.” However, I only counted 16, but they were 16 amazing displays of physical strength and grace. The show was full of spectacular colors, talented young men, women and a number of young girls. It was a magical night with some mind-boggling performances and a variety of visually stunning costumes.

As the show opened, the performers started in the back of Pano Hall dressed in spectacularly colorful costumes. Working their way through the audience with a winking parade-style dragon and waving giant flags, they were saying hi to audience members and shaking hands.

Once onstage they immediately started in with their incredible balancing act with a unicycle riding on top of a red umbrella and then appearing to fall off stage.

These guys had everything from contortionists to roller skating, including juggling pottery and even juggling hats!

The contortionists, dressed in yellow, ranged from little girls to young women. They started by arranging themselves in a single-file row from front to back, with the smallest in the front as they spread their arms out. They started climbing over each other, bending into unimaginable positions. It was quite the spectacle.

Next up was a number of young men balancing on a single ladder. As one man made his way on stage, he was balanced on a ladder, wiggling his way to center stage. Once there another man climbed on from behind and made his way to the shoulders of the first man. They finally ended up with four men balanced on the ladder.

At one point a number of young kids came out stuffed in colorful barrels, and I mean stuffed. These kids were very bendable, and at one point there was one in one end of the barrel and another in the other end and then they would trade off balancing each other on the one end. Crazy!

There was an awesome hat routine that was very well choreographed. These guys made their routine look deceptively easy, until they called a few audience members onstage to help them out.

That was when I noticed Rachel Steele, lead singer of local country rock band Road 88, sitting in the audience. As they were looking for volunteers it was obvious that Steele did not have her hand up, but one of the men went right to her and insisted she come up onstage. It was funny watching Steele, who is used to leading, having to follow these guys as they directed her, and three other audience members through several routines.

I’m thinking with fellow Road 88 band members Scott Prentice and Billy Haggard in attendance that they had prearranged Steele’s selection. Steele was definitely caught off guard and very entertaining.

Steele was doing a great job, and you could tell she felt this was in the bag when they had her dancing and clapping her hands above her head. However, once they started showing her their hat routine, she had quite a bit of difficulty duplicating their moves.

The other two audience members didn’t fare any better than Steele, but kudos to the young lady who actually did a cartwheel, much to the audience’s delight.

This was a fast-paced show with stunning acrobatics, gymnastics and a whole lot of grace. The only downside of the night was the height of the stage. During several acts the stage was so low that it was difficult to see what was going on. Luckily there were only a few parts where it was difficult to see.

I’m sure they will be back to perform at Thunder Valley again, and if they do, you don’t want to miss it!

Gym, Tan, Dodgeball win first title, and Team AP completes first 3-peat!

2011-11-05T00:00:32Z

Last night featured 150 local young professionals, competing for the right to claim Xoso Dodgeball Champion on their athletic resumes. Another 100 playoff hopefuls had already had their dreams of dodgeball glory fade into the distance. The Xoso Sport & Social League offers two divisions on Thursday evenings, separating veteran "A" league teams from newer "B" league teams.

On the B League side of the gym last night, Gym Tan Dodgeball proved that it doesn't always matter where you're seeded.

The Fall Season of Xoso dodgeball wrapped up last night with an epic night of playoffs and championship matchups. Coming into the night Drinkin' Team (6-2) and Titsburg Feelers (6-2) arrived with the top 2 seeds, while Gym Tan Dodgeball (5-3) and Hookers and Bacon (4-4) had earned the lowest seeds - 5th and 6th respectively.

In the opening round the first matchup contained little drama as Sexual Chocolate and Gym Tan Dodgeball(GTD) were set to square off in a battle of 4-seed vs 5-seed. Sexual Chocolate unfortunately didn't have the minimum number of players and so GTD was awarded a victory by forfeit and advanced to the semifinal round. The other quarterfinal matchup was a different story as the 3-seed, Ball Thugs & Harmony, went to battle against the 6-seed Hookers & Bacon. It was a close fight the entire game as the game progressed: 1-1, 2-1, and finally 3-1 with Hookers & Bacon finally able to distance themselves from Ball Thugs. Ball Thugs were not done however, as they whittled their competition down in the next game. This 5th and deciding game determined the match as time ran out on Ball Thugs, even though they had more players left as time expired, this additional point brought them a 3-2 loss and allowed Hookers & Bacon to complete the upset and move on to face Titsburg Feelers in the semifinals.

The Titsburg Feelers took advantage of their 1st round bye and used their rested arms to welcome Hookers & Bacon to the semifinal round. Hookers & Bacon put up a tough fight by winning 3 games, however the #2 seed proved to be too much and won convincingly 6-3. With their victory Titsburg earned a spot in the Championship game versus the winner of #5-seed Gym Tan and #1-seed Drinking Team. In this other semifinal match the top-seeded Drinking Team had a strong advantage as they battled GTD late into the match with a 3-2 lead, and time winding down at approximately the 4 minute mark. Gym Tan would not give up. GTD successfully tied the match up at 3-3 with just over 2 minutes remaining. With little time on the clock these two teams battled in one final game to determine who would move onto the Championship match. In an exciting and heated contest Gym Tan gutted it out and was able to secure a win in the final game for a 4-3 match victory.

The intensity and stakes only got higher as the Championship Match featured Gym Tan Dodgeball squaring off against the second-seeded Titsburg Feelers. The games in this final match were long and extremely hard-fought as each side knew what was at stake. They battled toe-to-toe for four exhausting matches and in the end were tied at 2-2, due to the Titsburg Feelers having more players on the court as time expired and Gym Tan missing a half-court basket as the whistle blew. The Championship was settled with one final sudden death game. The score was finally settled when the team that seemed to have the most fight in them, Gym Tan Dodgeball, was able to oust the final Titsburg Feeler and claim Xoso Dodgeball Championship status. Gym Tan was able to knock off the #1 AND #2 seeds to truly prove that, in the playoffs, it's anyones game.

Congrats to Gym Tan Dodgeball on their first championship!

On the "A" league side, Team AP survived to win their 3rd straight A League title.

In one of the most tightly contested dodgeball playoffs in recent memory, Team AP was able to secure their 3rd consecutive Thursday dodgeball crown. Usually seeded 1st or 2nd, AP (6-2) finished the regular season in 3rd place and faced the unusual challenge of not having a 1st round playoff bye and instead having to win three matches to clinch the championship. In round 1, AP struggled early against 6th seeded Bat S*** Crazy (2-1-5) before pulling away late to win 5-2. The other round 1 matchup saw 4th seed (o)(o) (4-4) knock off 5th seed Dirty Smurfs (4-4) also by the score of 5-2 to advance.

In the evening's first semifinal, top-seeded and undefeated D3: The Mighty Drunks (8-0) battled (o)(o) in a closer than anticipated match but emerged a 4-2 winner. Semifinal #2 was a tense affair that saw Team AP jump out to a 3-1 lead on a 2nd seeded Kendall's Bridesmaids (7-1) before Kendall's Bridemaids closed the gap to 3-2 and then evened the match at 3-3 by winning a 3-on-3 sudden death round after regulation time had expired. The squads then faced off in an untimed, winner-take-all 8-on-8 game won by AP to set up a championship showdown with longtime rivals D3.

This season's title match between AP and D3 marked the 4th time these rivals have squared off in the playoffs over the last few seasons. A determined D3 played hard to end AP's post-season dominance but was unable to slow down AP as they established a 4-1 lead in the first 20 minutes of the match. Energized by their earlier round scares, AP was in classic form for the championship round marked by their athleticism and unmatched throwing ability. D3 clawed back late to narrow the lead to 4-2 but ran out of time as AP closed out the match 5-2 and celebrated the first three-peat in Xoso history.

Congrats to Team AP!

Disclosure: Nick is the founder of Xoso.

"Chocolate Salty Balls" Come Out of Nowhere to Win Recess Championship

2011-10-31T18:39:08Z

In a surprising turn of events, Chocolate Salty Balls emerged as Xoso Sport & Social League's Fall 2011 Recess League champions with a tense 2-1 volleyball victory over previously undefeated Green Dogs and Spam. CSB entered week 8 of the regular season in 4th place but was able to leapfrog over UR FIRED and Drexel Dragons into 2nd place by winning their final week matchup while the other playoff contenders lost.

For the two team playoff, CSB (3-3-2) chose to square off against #1 seed Green Dogs and Spam (8-0) in volleyball as opposed to the other Recess sports (Indoor Kickball and Dodgeball). Despite volleyball being CSB's strength and Green Dogs' weakness, it was Green Dogs that seized game one 21-17. On the verge of elimination, CSB came out strong in game two, winning handily 21-9, and set the stage for winner take all game three. CSB rode their game two momentum to a 15-10 lead and seemed in complete control before Green Dogs rallied to narrow the score to 16-14. Their efforts fell short, however, as CSB was able to rely on great serving to win points late to clinch the championship with a 21-17 game three win.

Disclosure: Written by a member of Xoso Sport & Social League

Midnight Star Shines on Thunder Valley

2011-10-31T03:17:55Z

Seventies musicmakers Midnight Star and A Taste of Honey packed Pano Hall at Thunder Valley Casino and Resort Friday night, keeping the audience on their feet for most of the show.

A late start didn’t dampen the crowd’s enthusiasm as Grammy Award-winning A Taste of Honey, featuring original band member Janice Marie Johnson, stormed the stage. Johnson was decked out in a pink sequin dress and high heels and sporting her bass guitar.

As soon as the band kicked into gear, the audience was on their feet, as the band played all their hits like “I’m Talking About You” and “Disco Dancin’.”

After a quick wardrobe change into an orange kimono, Johnson sang her hit song “Sukiyaki” as the audience settled back in their seats.

The audience catapulted out of their seats as Johnson finished the set with their biggest hit, “Boogie Oogie Oogie.”
Prior to the show, Johnson was backstage meeting some of her fans. I’ve attended a number of meet-and-greets, and Johnson was one of the most down to earth artists I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. She asked everyone their name, repeating it back to ensure she got it right. She would give them a hug and then start asking them questions while they were getting their picture taken. Class act all the way!

After a longer than expected break to change out equipment, the audience was back up on their feet as founding Midnight Star members Belinda Lipscomb (vocals), Melvin Gentry (guitar/vocals), Bo Watson (keyboard/vocals) and Bill Simmons (keyboards) took the stage with longtime bandmates Kenneth Gant (bass) and Bobby Lovelace (drums).

Pumping out their signature R&B electro-funk sound, they had the crowd singing and cheering to “Electricity,” leading into a brief version of “Headlines,” “Wet My Whistle” and “Midas Touch.”

I thoroughly enjoy bands like Midnight Star that take the time to choreograph their moves for each song. It adds a completely different dynamic to the performance, and it just plain looks good. Obviously the crowd agreed, because as soon as the band started moving in sync with each other, the audience responded with a round of applause.

After ending their set with “Freak-A-Zoid” and “No Parking (On the Dance Floor),” it was obvious the crowd was quite satisfied with the night’s performances by both bands.

The Honey Badgers win Xoso's First Softball Championship!

2011-10-28T18:38:07Z

On Sunday, Xoso Sport & Social League concluded the inaugural season of Xoso Coed Softball.

As we've all heard when it comes to the playoffs... anything can happen. On Sunday, "anything" did.

The #1 seeded "We Got The Runs" had rolled through the regular season schedule, ending with an undefeated 8-0 record. In game one, they matched up against the #4 seeded, "Foul Balls and Dirty Bunts" who came in with a 3-5 record. FBaDB were playing shorthanded, but managed to hang in there against a full #1 team. "We Got the Runs" put up the maximum number of runs in the first inning, and lead 9-2 after one. FBaDB managed to get within five runs at the end of the second inning, and battled back to close to within six at games end.

In the other semi-final matchup, #2 "Just the Tip" (6-1-1) faced off against #3 "Honey Badgers" (5-3). The Honey Badgers put up two runs in the first, another four in both the 2nd and 3rd, and added two more in the fourth, to take a 12-4 lead into the final two inning. "Just the Tip" tried to rally back, but ended up falling, 12-6.

The Honey Badgers picked up where they left off in the championship game, putting up seven runs in the first inning. "We Got the Runs" rallied back, and trailed 14-8 after four innings but they just couldn't make up for the first inning outburst. The Honey Badgers came away with the first Xoso Softball Championship with a final score of 14-11.

Disclosure: Nick Berruezo is the founder of Xoso Sport & Social League

Hands-On Workshop and Blue Thumb Garden Party Scheduled for Nov. 5

2011-10-20T17:36:06Z

Blue Thumb Neighbors (BTN) is offering a special workshop to provide Witter Ranch (Natomas) residents with a hands-on opportunity to apply sustainable landscape practices to a neighbor’s yard.

Working with the host, the BTN team will develop an action plan for transforming one ornamental planting area with beautiful, low-water use plants and upgrading sprinkler heads in one turf area. BTN instructors, participants and volunteers will then dig in and implement those plans during the Garden Party.

The Garden Party will include both instruction and hands-on application on the following topics:

Soil and Soil Amendments: Discuss soil health, use of compost and how the site was prepared
Hydrozones, Plants and Planting: Identify the garden's hydrozones, review the landscape design plan and plant list, learn how to properly space plants based upon mature size and install plants and trees
Efficient Garden Watering (planting bed): Match selected plants to the irrigation method, review scheduling, maintenance and proper emitter placement
Efficient Garden Watering (turf): Practice how to replace older sprinklers with efficient rotary nozzles
Mulch Magic: Learn about the proper application of mulch, including the correct depth and distance from plants, and then apply mulch to the garden

____________________________

What: Blue Thumb Garden Party

Where: Home of Anita Mora, 2942 Chateau Montelena Way

When: Saturday, November 5, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Who: Witter Ranch residents and Blue Thumb Neighbors participants

What to bring: Chairs, gardening clothes that can get dirty, Blue Thumb garden gloves, hats and sunscreen, shovel and hand trowel

Please RSVP by contacting: Christine Kohn, Blue Thumb Neighbors Program Coordinator, by phone: 916-944-1631 or via e-mail: ckohn@INCommunications.biz.

Disclosure: Christine Kohn is the public outreach coordinator for the Regional Water Authority.

Local Movies, Improv Comedy, and Swing Music at Crest Sunday 1:00 PM

2011-10-02T02:43:48Z

"A Place Called Sacramento" premieres ten new local short movies on the big screen at the Crest tomorrow at 1:00 PM. But be sure to arrive early (1) to avoid the long line that forms every year from folks arrivng at the last minute overwhelming the single box office and (2) "Cheap Therapy" with Charlie Holliday will perform a special improv comedy skit at 12:45 for those early arrivals.

After the premiere, stay because the party is just getting started. The Crest Lobby will "jump n' jive" to the harmonizing of "Sister Swing" as the cast and crew from ten wonderful movies mingle and buzz with excitement and camraderie.

This is the 12th year for this unique Sacramento based event. In 12 years, 119 films have been completed. Bring the whloe family and enjoy our wonderful creative community. Artober begins at the Crest Sunday October 2 with "A Place Called Sacramento".

Ten Local Films - Sunday 1:00 PM Crest Theater - 12th "A Place Called Sacramento Film Festival

2011-09-27T08:52:05Z

For the twelfth year, Access Sacramento is planning the world premiere of “A Place Called Sacramento” (PCS), a scriptwriting and short film production project for local writers and producers. PCS challenges local scriptwriters to write ten-minute scripts about the people, places, and events that make our community such a unique place to live (submission guidelines on-line at www.AccessSacramento.org).

Neighbors and friends will gather at the 2011 World Premiere at the CREST Theatre on Sunday October 2, 2011 at 1:00 PM. $10 (general seating) is a fundraiser for community media. Advanced ticket purchase is recommended at Tickets.com, the Crest Box Office, or the offices of Access Sacramento during business hours.

Special highlights for the 2011 “Place Called Sacramento” Film Festival --

10 more films completed this year means in the 12 years of the event, 119 (out of 120) approved scripts have been completed and shown on the Crest big screen.
2011 featured our oldest filmmaker (78) - Burt Wilson "CSI Sacramento" and our youngest (9) Claire Elizabeth "The Chozen"
6 of the 10 films were written and produced by women and region-wide with films from West Sacramento, Cameron Park, Grass Valley, Fair Oaks, Carmichael, Davis, Citrus Heights, and Sacramento.
All films are volunteer created with only out of pocket expenses for incidentals and food.
"A Place Called Sacramento" is unique – local films created by volunteers and professionals.
Opening the PCS event at 12:45 will be a performance by "Cheap Therapy" - a local improv comedy team organized by SAG actor and local acting teacher Charlie Holiday.
Immediately following the showcase of the ten films, "Sister Swing" will perform in the Crest Lobby. They sing a modern up-tempo version of "Andrews Sisters-style" harmonies.
We will be visited once again by infamous Hollywood shark, the big fish director - Quentin Sacramento – the mascot of the festival.

To view the films completed for previous PCS film festivals, go to the web site www.AccessSacramento.org. Access Sacramento is a nonprofit organization dedicated to using community media to build better communications between individuals and groups in Sacramento County on cable radio and television channels 17 & 18.

CONTACT: Ron Cooper, Executive Director
Access Sacramento
4623 T Street, Suite A
Sacramento, CA. 95819
(916) 456-8600 #112
www.AccessSacramento.org

Disclosure: Ron Cooper is Executive Director of Access Sacramento

Rock Allegiance at Power Balance Pavilion

2011-09-27T02:37:28Z

The Rock Allegiance Tour pulled out all the stops for the last night of their summer tour.

Sacramento’s Power Balance Pavilion hosted an unforgettable evening of loud riffs and primordial deafening screams. Seven bands were schedule to perform. Drive A, Crossfade, Red, P.O.D. and Puddle of Mud were scheduled to perform, as well as co-headliners Buckcherry and Papa Roach. Puddle of Mud was unable to attend due to an illness. Me be thinking hangover, but what do I know?

This concert was off the charts with people jumping over barriers to get to the bands and the bands jumping over barriers to get to fans. I didn’t know whether I should be watching the bands or the crowd. Both were entertaining, both were over the top and both were screaming at each other. It was a mess!

Out of all the bands, I think Buckcherry had the best performance of them all. While just as crazy as the other bands, they had a modicum of control to the point of sounding like a real band. Not to rip the other bands, but when these guys are screaming into their mics with their guttural growls and flying through the air like Mighty Mouse on crack, it’s hard to hear them because they’re out of breath - or headbanging with someone in the crowd. It was obvious that absolutely nobody agreed with me, since everyone was screaming and singing along with each and every band.

Once Buckcherry took the stage there were a number of people jumping the barriers, only to be rewarded with the ever so gracious security team greeting them and quietly and politely dragging their sorry arse to the curb. Once Buckcherry jumpstarted the crowd into a renewed frenzy, they passed the baton to Papa Roach to finish the night off in style.

Papa Roach hit the stage in full stride and had heads bopping, fans rocking and people jumping off the stage. It was quite an event and all caught on tape, since Papa Roach was filming their part of the show for a new music video. They even had a $100,000+ camera on a boom moving over the crowd to catch all the action.

This really was a night to remember – such a bestial display of pure testosterone all on one stage. As I was heading home listening to the Backstreet Boys I kept wondering what it would be like to fly around like Mighty Mouse on crack, maybe next time.

Drink Wine, Marvel at Art, Dance to Live Music all to Support Orphans in Mexico

2011-09-20T16:45:59Z

On September 30, 2011, at Beatnik Studios, aspects of Sacramento’s finest culture will come together to support a truly inspiring cause. From 5pm to 9pm entrance is free and guests can stroll the studio looking at P.R. Brown’s photography show “The Known and Travel” while noshing on appetizers. Wine lovers can purchase a souvenir glass for wine tasting and entrance into a gourmet gift basket raffle. 100% of the proceeds are directed towards transforming the lives of orphaned and poverty-stricken children. Guests can further show their support by bidding at the silent auction. After 9pm a suggested donation of $5-$10 is appreciated as the stage opens up to live performances from Katie Jane, Alyssa Cox, Step Jane, and Exquisite Corps.

Beatnik studios, located on 17th Street and Broadway, is known for supporting charitable causes. The nonprofit organization 2Build 4Ward International (2x4 International) is no exception. A group of California State Employees initiated the organization to bring attention and solutions to issues in developing countries. Their mission is to partner with community-based projects and disadvantaged groups to support education, health, infrastructure and small business development.

While the organization has already sent and shipped barrels of goods to a hospital in Ghana, this event will further their project to build an orphanage in Tuxpan, Jalisco Mexico. The organization has received a donation of land, a commitment from a Canadian architectural firm to the project, and the partnership of a local Mexican organization. Over half of Mexico’s population lives in poverty and the UN estimates that there are 10 million orphans living in Mexico.

The featured artist, P.R. Brown, is best known as a Grammy nominated music video director. Brown has worked with musicians such as John Mayer, Three Days Grace, The Smashing Pumpkins, Seal, Prince, Alicia Keys, Slipknot, Matisyahu, Goo Goo Dolls, and Death Cab for Cutie. His collection of travel photos and high fashion will be featured at Beatnik for the entire month of October.

For those interested in supporting 2x4 International’s cause, but cannot attend, online bidding for the silent auction photos can be accessed through their website. If you enjoy art, wine, music, and helping others, then come celebrate at 2x4 International’s first annual Wine and Art Event.

2x4 International is a registered 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation dedicated to development projects abroad. For further information please visit http://2x4international.blogspot.com

Disclosure: Chelsea Berg is the Fundraising/Volunteer Administrator with 2build 4ward international.

Witter Ranch Selected for ‘Blue Thumb Neighbors’ Program

2011-09-12T20:19:35Z

The Witter Ranch neighborhood in Natomas has been selected to participate in “Blue Thumb Neighbors,” a free program sponsored by the Regional Water Authority and City of Sacramento Department of Utilities.

The project will teach residents there how to create healthy, beautiful, River‐Friendly landscapes that compliment their homes and neighborhood. River‐Friendly landscaping is a holistic approach to sustainable landscaping that uses resources, like water, efficiently and incorporates practices that foster soil health, reduce waste and prevent pollution of the air and waterways.

Each participating household will receive a free at‐home consultation on efficient watering, sponsored by the City of Sacramento, and then education and resource kits during three October workshops on sustainable landscape design, efficient irrigation and proper plant selection.

“When we first heard of this program, we knew that Natomas was an ideal candidate area,” said Dave Brent, Interim Director of the City of Sacramento Department of Utilities. “And when we approached Witter Ranch, their enthusiasm proved we were right. We look forward to working with them and helping them to implement real changes that will make a difference in their water use and their monthly utility bills.”

Neighborhoods from throughout the City of Sacramento were nominated for the program and then evaluated according to 13 criteria, which included whether the neighborhood is metered and representative of other communities in the Sacramento region. After interviews with leaders at top‐ranked neighborhoods, program sponsors selected Witter Ranch.

"We were impressed with Witter Ranch's sense of community pride, neighborhood association leadership and existing system of communication," said Regional Water Efficiency Program Manager Linda Yager.

Witter Ranch was the only neighborhood selected in the City of Sacramento for the 2011 Blue Thumb Neighbors program.

The free at‐home consultations, which will provide tips on irrigation scheduling and efficient watering practices, begin this month. The open workshops will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on October 11, 18 and 25 at the Witter Ranch Elementary School Multipurpose Room at 3790 Poppy Hill Way.

Blue Thumb Neighbors staff will be going door‐to‐door on Saturday, September 17 to provide more information about the program and invite residents to participate.

Interested residents may contact Blue Thumb Neighbors Program Coordinator Christine Kohn at 916‐944‐1631 or ckohn@INcommunications.biz to learn more or sign up.

Blue Thumb Neighbors is offered in partnership with the Witter Ranch Community Alliance. It is sponsored by the Regional Water Authority and City of Sacramento. It is funded in part by a grant from the California Department of Water Resources.

Disclosure: Christine Kohn is the public outreach coordinator for the Regional Water Authority.

The Human League

2011-09-09T00:47:43Z

The Human League teamed up with Men Without Hats at Thunder Valley Casino and Resort Wednesday night, playing to a less than packed house.

Both groups are synthpop bands who got their start in the early ’80s. The Human League has had a number of hit songs since and in March of this year released their 10th album, “Credo,” 30 years after their first album.

Men Without Hats kicked off the evening playing a number of their hit songs, including "Moonbeam," "Pop Goes the World" and "The Safety Dance."

The only original band member, Ivan Doroschuk, came out donning a cowboy hat. He was bathed in red or blue light almost the entire time on stage. Doroschuk was very energetic, dancing back and forth across the stage, waving his arms in the air and looking like he was having a good time.

The music was loud, making it difficult to hear Doroschuk sing. I don’t believe he sounded that great, but that may have been because he was being drowned out by his own music. I was really disappointed, and it seemed the audience agreed. Only a handful of people were up on their feet until the last song “The Safety Dance,” when everyone got moving.

I should have known the moment Doroschuk came on stage with a hat that this wasn’t going to be good. Let’s face it, Men Without Hats means men without hats. I kept looking for “America’s Got Talent”’s Piers Morgan in hopes that he could buzz them and be done with it. These guys were more reminiscent of a bad ’70s band than an ’80s revival band.

Once The Human League took the stage, it all changed. These guys put on a great theatrical production, complete with a video backdrop with the drummer playing front and center of the screen. The video splashing all over the drummer made for a great look.

Founding member and lead singer Philip Oakey was dressed in black with a black hood for the first song, “Never Let Me Go.” Oakey started by walking slowly into the spot light singing the chorus, “Go/ go/ go,” and then fading back, out of the light, until the next chorus. The whole time band mainstays Susan Anne Sulley and Joanne Catherall were singing and dancing in unison on both ends of the stage.

The Human League has evolved over the years but remains true to their unique electronic pop sound with smooth vocals overlaying synthesizers and digital keyboards.

They had the attention of the audience from the moment they stepped out on stage. They had several wardrobe changes, various videos playing in the background and good, solid vocals. All the band members were high energy, including Nic Burke, who was jumping from keyboards to guitars and back again.

I would highly recommend checking The Human League out the next time they are in town. They put on a great theatrical production and have a number of hits spanning several decades to enjoy.

Deal Ticket has relaunched on a new platform.

2011-09-01T18:46:19Z

Like its distinctively independent, hyperlocal approach to news coverage and commentary on the Sacramento area, The Sacramento Press delivers Deal Ticket, its version of the national trend in online deals, which is a weekly deal program that offers consumers 51-90% off on Sacramento’s top businesses every Tuesday through Friday.

Deal Ticket sales representatives are able to partner face to face with local businesses to produce effective offers for local consumers.

“Deal Ticket worked out really well for my business,” said Abraham Sanchez, owner of Article Consignment Boutique. “It was a great opportunity to have not only new people, it worked out for my existing clients to get some good deals and bring back recurring business.”

He added that it was very easy and well-organized and the deal process went exactly as it was explained to him.

“It was successful and profitable for me,” he said. “It allowed new people to come in and, of course, those people referred others. I would consider it a great success for me and my business.”

Deal Ticket has featured local greats such as Tuli Bistro, Article Consignment Boutique, Scrub Boys, Squeeze Inn and Asha Yoga. Deals have ranged from local restaurants, hair salons, yoga, photography, tanning, car washes, massages and much more.

The Deal Ticket team works hard to tailor every offer specifically for the local Sacramento market, even in the face of competitive national daily discount behemoths such as Groupon and Living Social. Deal Tickets local edge comes from their customer service – a real person is available to speak to businesses and customers that participate in the deal program.

“We’re trying to make Deal Ticket fun, affordable, easy to buy and, most of all, credible,” said Ben Ilfeld, co-founder of The Sacramento Press and Macer Media. “Our emphasis with The Sacramento Press and SLOAN has always been ‘hyperlocal’ for news, commentary and advertising. Deal Ticket is about taking branding to a ‘hyperlocal’ level for area businesses that participate.”

Deal Ticket is continually looking for ways to improve – The Sacramento Press recently relaunched its weekly deal program on a brand-new platform built from the ground up with all-new features.

Deal Ticket still provides consumers with a fantastic weekly deal program, but on a much-improved platform. With this new system, several changes have been made to benefit consumers and make the process of purchasing and redeeming Deal Tickets easier. They know that there are many daily deal options to choose from, but consumers can trust that every Deal Ticket is hand-selected.

Features on the new platform include:

- Manage and print purchased deal vouchers through Deal Ticket’s website.
- Access to personal accounts 24/7.
- Track purchased vouchers, both used and available to be redeemed.
- Sign up and log in with your Facebook account for more convenient access.
- Credit card information is securely saved to provide a smoother checkout process, and all credit/debit cards are accepted, making for easy, quick and secure checkouts.
- Share a $5 invitation bonus on featured deals (Each friend who signs up gets a $5 credit, and you get a $5 credit after your friend's first purchase).
- And much more!

Don’t miss this week’s deal! Do you Shabu-shabu? In the winter of 2009, Shabu Japanese Fondue was the first of its kind in Midtown Sacramento. Shabu provides traditional Japanese-style hot pot, serving the finest ingredients, quality meat, fresh seafood and vegetables with broths and sauces made in-house daily. Grab a friend and head over to Shabu – just $7 for $15 of Japanese Fondue!

If you would like to sign up for Deal Ticket, go to: https://deals.sacramentopress.com

Disclosure: Dina Neils is a full-time Sacramento Press employee.

Why am I running again for Co-op Board?

2011-08-29T00:08:46Z

I agree with mycologist Paul Stamets when he said ”We should be very concerned about our future,” in the film “DIRT! The movie.” While the movie focused on the dangers posed by global soil degradation, I find myself concerned about the state of our co-op. As a social worker, I see the recent events in the context of a time when we are faced with the large corporate buy outs of natural food companies and coincidentally higher interest in starting up co-ops than we’ve had since the 1970s, we have both an opportunity and a danger on our hands as co-op members.

Our movement is growing and it’s up to us to harness the energy and focus on ways to use that energy in ways that will advance the cooperative mission to meet the needs of its community. This is no small task, as both the rest of the Board and Paul Cultrera, our General Manger, will tell you. As a grocery store in the most diverse medium sized city in California, our shoppers and members reflect that diversity. The advantage of the co-op is that instead of satisfying the whims of stockholders, co-ops only answer to their membership. That’s why I take very seriously the responsibility of representing the interest of our collective membership, rather than the cause of a minority of people seeking to redress the wrong doings of the Israeli government.

What is the Board’s imperative? To seek social justice internationally or to ensure the future of this bulwark against the massive industrial agricultural complex about which books like The Omnivore’s Dilemma and movies like “The Last Crop” and “Dirt!” have warned us. I say it’s the latter. The value of the co-op is that as a local, independent, membership owned business, we can easily respond to the needs of the greater Sacramento community, including distributing the food from the local family farms to this community.

In “DIRT!” Green Belt Movement founder Wangari Maathai tells a Kenyan folktale about a hummingbird fighting an enormous forest fire. While the other animals stand by, overwhelmed by the size of the fire, the hummingbird did “the best I can” to fight the fire drop by drop. This story reminds me of the effort to save organic, sustainable farm land with the One Farm at a Time program, started by our Co-op and Annie and Jeff Maine of Good Humus Produce in the Capay Valley and supported by the Sacramento and Davis Co-ops.

Here at the Co-op, keeping our money in the local community, and fighting the mass industrialization of farm land and participating in the governance of our membership owned grocery business is critical to the strength of our community. Members can help by joining the Boards committees, including the newly forming Education committee to spread the word about cooperatives. Let’s start where we are and work together to make our co-op and our community the best it can be.

Disclosure: Alicia Dienst is a current member of the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op Board of Directors.

Mr. Fluffy puffs up Thunder Valley

2011-08-22T02:20:53Z

The one and only Gabriel Iglesias, better known as Mr. Fluffy, performed at Thunder Valley Casino and Resort on Saturday night, entertaining well over 3,500 people with his hilarious mixture of storytelling, parodies, characters and sound effects. I say well over 3,500 judging by the overflow in the parking lot next to Thunder Valley’s outdoor amphitheater.

Just prior to his performance, Iglesias had over 10 chocolate cakes delivered by fans to his dressing room. He said he performed a routine around seven years ago about a chocolate cake, and to this day fans are still delivering cakes to his performances. The record is 27 cakes at one event. Why do people bring him cakes from a joke made seven years ago? Iglesias said it’s all because of reruns.

As Iglesias took the stage, he told the crowd he was checking his tweets. He found out there was an 11-year-old with his family in the parking lot listening to his show. He apologized in advance for any foul language he may use. For the most part, it was a refreshingly good, clean show with very few offensive words. The four opening acts were Martin Moreno, Alfred Robles, Rick Gutierrez and Noe Gonzalez, and they were a bit more offensive.

The audience thoroughly enjoyed Iglesias’ ability to joke about the local area, including taking jabs at competing casino Cache Creek and joking about Chipotle in downtown Sacramento, where he ate earlier in the day.

This was a fun show with new material that Iglesias is trying out for an upcoming DVD. Even though the audience was falling on the floor laughing, some audience members were chanting for some of his older material. Being the gracious man he is, he did one more new routine and ended the evening with several routines from the past, starting with his Krispy Kreme joke, which had the audience cheering. When he did the Volkswagen routine, the audience started telling the joke in unison with Iglesias.

Normally the bars are hopping, but the audience was completely caught up in Iglesias’ routine and remained in their seats the entire show. As he ended the evening, he was sure to tell the audience that he’s a gambling man and will be in the casino later on. He wanted to make sure that if anyone saw him gambling that he would be honored to have them come up say hi and take a picture with him.

I had a chance to talk to Iglesias prior to the show – my opportunity to ask Mr. Fluffy himself a hard-hitting journalistic type question.
“So what do you think about your new Xbox with Kinect?” Pretty lame question, but he loved it. He has the Zumba dancing game, and he’s been burning up some major calories. He did jokingly say that he was not about to go live with it.

Iglesias was in the fourth season of “Last Comic Standing” and won Comedy Central & Comcast Cable's Comedy Special of the year in 2003. In 2004 and 2005 he was voted into the Top 25 of Comedy Central's “Standup Showdown.”
He also has a brand new series on Comedy Central starting on Oct. 6th called “Gabriel Iglesias Presents Stand-Up Revolution.” The show will feature stand-up routines from Iglesias and other comedians.

Toad had Harlow's Hopping

2011-08-20T01:26:28Z

Years ago when our kids were young, my wife would set their alarm to play Toad the Wet Sprocket’s CD “Fear.” Every morning I was treated to the song “Walk on the Ocean.” Some mornings I would hear just the beginning chorus, and other mornings I’d hear the entire CD. Those were the bad days – not to say the music was bad, but the kids just wouldn’t get their butts out of bed.

Well, the kids are all grown up now and in their 20s. Don’t ask me for their exact age. I’m not wired that way. So it was quite a delight to take a couple of them over to Harlow’s in Sacramento to see Toad the Wet Sprocket on Thursday. Seeing the two of them watching the band that started their day, every day as kids, brought a tear to my eye. I can still hear the CD going off in the morning as if it was just this morning – wait a second, it was this morning – they still live at home! I cried a lot that night.

The evening started out with Garrison Starr, a singer-songwriter from Los Angeles. She did a great job warming up most of the crowd, but there was a lot of chatter going on while she performed. She didn’t appreciate the fact that so many people weren’t paying attention and took several jabs at the audience.

After a brief set change, Toad the Wet Sprocket took the stage with barefoot lead singer Glenn Phillips belting out “Something’s Always Wrong.” This caused the standing-room-only crowd to shout and cheer.

Phillips made his political views clear between songs, describing the Tea Party as an accident between two buses. The first bus was full of libertarians, the second full of Tea Partiers. The resulting crash combined the worst elements of both.

“Great, now I’m going to get my ass kicked after the show,” Phillips said after several more Tea Party jokes.

“Finally Fading” was a tune Phillips wrote during the band’s 14-plus-year hiatus. It was nice to see him perform it with the original members, guitarist Todd Nichols, bassist Dean Dinning and drummer Randy Guss.

Recently Toad re-recorded their original songs, allowing them to distribute and publish their own work, since rights to their original recordings are held by Columbia Records. This has helped them stay true to their original sound. Phillips, despite throat surgery early in his career, sounds exactly like he did at the beginning of his career, over 25 years ago. He doesn’t look like he has aged much since then, either.

Toad is scheduled to release their first new studio album since 1997’s “Coil” sometime next year. They played several songs that are slated to be on the new album. The audience enjoyed the newer music, but it was a completely different atmosphere when they started playing music that the audience was familiar with.

Toad ended the concert with “Walk on the Ocean.” That’s when I woke up. Realizing I must have been dreaming, I reached over to turn off the alarm clock and the music stopped. Once out of bed, I headed to the bathroom and yelled to see if Mom had breakfast ready yet. Ahhh, life is good – waking up to Toad and having a nice hot meal waiting for me. Why leave?

DISCLAIMER: I don’t live with Mom. Yes, I did once. OK, maybe more than once, but I don’t live with her now. I do live with my lovely wife Ruth and too many kids.

MidLife Gridlife

2011-08-19T07:11:50Z

There are a lot of over 40 stories in this burgeoning halfway point between San Francisco and Lake Tahoe; that will be the basis for this weekly column. With help from overheard conversations and intentionally shared adventures, I’m going to tell them—or make them up.

“You should write about that,” is a refrain I hear from friends and family that has become as frustrating as it is flattering. While I consider myself a poet at heart, it’s my tales of online dating and quirky take on midlife mayhem that seems to spark everyone’s interest. I appreciate their enthusiasm, but write about it where?

Sacramento Press has been kind enough to provide the forum.

Midtown isn’t just for short skirts and wannabe musicians, college kids and cheap housing. There are restaurants and theaters and art galleries mixed in with those really great dive bars, there’s nothing wrong with affordable (adorable!) housing in this economy. It’s time the over forty crowd was shown a little love!

We’re hanging out at Temple Coffee with a laptop or the New York Times, dipping into Nebraska Monday at Luna’s, buying concert tickets, and getting trampled on the odd Second Saturday, even while reminiscing about the days when you used to be able to find the galleries. We’re raising little kids and being mistaken for their grandparents. We’re a good time.

The Fabulous Forties is not just a neighborhood where kids can get full-sized candy bars on Halloween and people elevate Christmas decorating to an art form. My forties are fabulous, and I’m expecting great things from my fifties and sixties as well.

Who knew it would be so interesting? It sounds midway point on the way to death, after all, as I suppose it’s meant to: middle aged. Or, at best, archaic, slovenly peasants a la Monty Python’s Holy Grail or Life of Brian (We’re not dead!) But it doesn’t feel that way. My motto has been “46 is the new 16,”—47, and so on, and so on--and it rocks!

It’s not like I haven’t endured a few bumps in the road.

I’ve had a couple what might be considered downright hellish years. That list of the most devastating emotional stressors a person can face? I managed to dodge the natural disaster and keep all of my limbs, but I ticked all the others off the list: lost my marriage, my job, my house, my father, and my longest-term friend had a recurrence of her brain tumor. I left a perfectly good job to take a supposedly better one, after a year of being recruited, and had the singularly most horrendous experience of my life—then I ended up unemployed!

It was when I found myself comforting the guy I was dating for the umpteenth time—assuring him that he’d get through the foreclosure and the move okay, despite the fact we didn’t even live together—that I realized unless I could appreciate the absurdity in all of it, I would just simply go nuts. Fortunately, he finally walked out in the middle of the move without so much as a good-bye speech; what do you do with a guy who periodically wants to move to a homeless camp or raise goats in the mountains and live in a yurt, anyway? Saved a lot of drama, his just disappearing like that.

So began my relationship with what some might call looking for the silver lining, but I think of as, My God Has A Sense of Humor—and there’s a punch line waiting around every corner; a little thing called Karma.

Unemployment was at nearly fourteen percent, so everyone was in on that joke. Lots of time to get my thoughts together. I actually wrote my first play.

Being unemployed was no picnic, but the relief of being out of the nightmare I’d been in was pretty sweet, and we have a dinner group of “survivors”—all managers who’ve quit or been fired from the agency--that get together periodically and swap stories like shell-shocked veterans; how great is that?

The brain tumor I’m having a tougher time spinning.

Obviously not every minute of it was fun, but, as my friends continued to point out, it was kind of funny. And sometimes it was fun! (We’re not dead!)

I don’t know about you, but I am not what my parents had in mind. Hardly anyone I know has a retirement plan, or for that matter a savings account of any substance. Very few of us have had successful marriages, and a lot of us are wondering if we’re going to end up in a commune with our best friends, drinking margaritas at the end (maybe I was a little short-sighted about the goats and the yurt). Our degrees aren’t worth what we thought they’d be, and our houses are being foreclosed on.

But we are a scrappy, savvy bunch. We persist.

Cats stay on winning track as Godfrey shines again in 7-3 win

2011-08-17T23:19:08Z

When you think about it, Graham Godfrey’s path was not on the fast track.

In fact, for a guy that started the season with Double-A Midland, where he is today is a huge leap in the right direction.

As Godfrey told me earlier this year, it was just one small mechanical thing he changed and voila, a steady, dominating pitcher was born.

With Godfrey pitching nearly lights out, the Sacramento River Cats stayed on the winning side of things with a 7-3 victory over the Albuquerque Isotopes at Raley Field on Tuesday evening in front of 10,016 happy fans.

The win gives him a league tying 12 and he’s only two away from tying the Sacramento franchise record of 14.

What would that accomplishment mean to the guy that could be leading the PCL in almost every pitching category if he'd been with the team all season?

“Personally, it will mean a lot, but right now I’m really focused on trying to get the team into the playoffs. We’ve got a good grasp of first place right now and hopefully we can lock it down and keep everything rolling into the playoffs. If I can pick up a win or two, that’s great, but what’s on everybody’s mind right now is getting to the playoffs and showing what this team is all about.”

After Godfrey got out of a small jam in the top of the first, trouble arose for Isotope moundsman Joe Newby right away.

Newby, owner of a 5.36 ERA, was a little out of control and getting hit hard in more ways than one. He led off the game with a walk to Jermaine Mitchell and a clean single by Adrian Cardenas.

During Kevin Kouzmanoff’s at-bat, Newby threw a wild pitch that just got by catcher Tim Federowicz. Mitchell sprinted towards the plate trying to score the first run of the game when Newby received the ball back from his catcher and had to awkwardly attempt a tag on the barreling-in Mitchell. Mitchell appeared to cleat Newby’s right foot on the play.

After a brief visit with the trainer, Newby elected to continue pitching in the contest.

He didn’t last long.

Kouzmanoff ended up taking a base on balls and, after a ground out by Josh Donaldson, Chris Carter torched a 2-1 pitch into left field that scored Kouz and gave the Cats a 2-0 lead.

Apparently, the right foot of Newby was hurting enough that he left the field of play with the trainer after the Carter at-bat. Newby’s line was one for the books - one-third of an inning pitched, two hits, four earned runs, two walks and two wild pitches! Quite an outing!

Adam Rosales would plate another run before the inning ended when he singled in Carter. The frame would end there as Andy LaRoche was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second on the play.

As Godfrey was bearing down - three straight fly outs to center in the second, the opposite could be said of Francisco Felix, the emergency pitching replacement for the injured Newby.

Cardenas, who went 4-for-5 and an RBI, said the Cats know they have a great chance to win when Godfrey’s on the mound.

“You just know he’s gonna go out there and give it his best, regardless of what happens,” said the 23-year old. “Usually, it’s a performance like tonight where, if it wasn’t for that sixth inning, it would be another six inning shutout. But that’s Graham, he’s been that way all year and he deserves to be in the big leagues right now.”

Besides the run in the first, Felix would give up another in the second on Donaldson’s second RBI in as many innings when he plated Mitchell on a fielder’s choice.

It was all quiet for the next couple of innings until a crack in Godfrey’s armor was starting to develop.

After getting taken deep on three fly ball outs in the fifth, he gave up three straight hits to lead off the sixth inning. After a lead-off single by Joe Becker, Brad Coon tripled down the right field line to score Becker for the first Albuquerque run of the game. The next hitter, Ivan De Jesus Jr., singled and scored Coon from third.

That was enough for a visit to the mound by Cats pitching coach Scott Emerson in an effort to settle down his starter.

The pep talk did some good as Godfrey settled in and struck out the two of the next three hitters to set down the Isotopes with minimal damage inflicted.

In the frame, a great play by Rosales at short helped get Godfrey out of the jam when he made a diving stop on Russ Mitchell’s shot up the middle. While laying on the ground, Rosales tried flipping the ball to LaRoche, but the it semi-stuck in his glove and barely trickled to LaRoche in time to get the runner at second base. The play probably saved another run from scoring in the inning.

In the eighth, the Cats etched some more digits on the Raley Field scoreboard when Cardenas singled in Anthony Recker, who had walked to lead off the inning. Kouzmanoff was up next and hit a shot to the shortstop who looked like he would turn two easily. De Jesus, Jr. flipped the ball to Becker at second but Becker double-pumped the throw, which caused him to be late with the ball and allowed Kouz to get an RBI and be safe at first on the play.

Jordan Norberto pitched a good final two innings of relief having four strikeouts and only allowing a two-out solo home run in the ninth by Jamie Hoffman.

With two strong pitching performances turning into two wins in a row, Darren Bush was pleased the guys are getting back on track and playing proper baseball at the proper time.

“We played better games in that Round Rock series and we played good again tonight,” said the soft-spoken manager of the now 72-52 River Cats.

Taking things in the proverbial day-by-day fashion works for Bush and it’s that attitude that has spread to the entire team and staff over the course of his first year in Sacramento.

“We need to make sure we stay focused on the game that day and not get caught up in anything else,” continued Bush. “We’re here to play a baseball game tomorrow at twelve o’clock, not two weeks from now. We’re here to play tomorrow and we need to focus on playing that game on that day. Everything else will take care of itself. You ask about fine tuning? Just play that game and you’ll play fundamentally sound.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF:

STEVEN CHEA

Isaac Bear's crazy dreams

2011-08-16T21:41:23Z

It's a hot, sunny Sunday afternoon and I find myself sitting inside a rehearsal room at Sacramento's House of Hits listening to the spastic, funky sounds of local band Isaac Bear. Drummer Steven Jenkins grimaces in deep concentration and suddenly cracks a smile as he nails a complex polyrhythm on his kit. Bassist Scotty Urquhart sways back and forth to the rhythm, fingers gliding effortlessly across his strings in a trance-like groove. "I wanna go so bad / But it seems I've got to stay / Don't wanna let you down / Guess I'll find my peace / Some other day" wails guitarist/vocalist Keith Filson before dropping into a blistering solo, stomping on a wah pedal for added psychedelic effect. The song they are rehearsing is entitled "Flat Tire". I sit there in stunned silence for a few seconds, waiting for the ringing in my ears to subside. The only word I can manage to mutter in amazed response is "...dude".

Formed in 2005 under the name "Overlay", longtime friends Keith Filson and Steven Jenkins started jamming together in Filson's cramped garage, pumping out songs with a mutual love for complex rhythms and funky riffs. After a revolving lineup of bassists, Filson stumbled upon local talent Scotty Urquhart in 2008. "I met Scotty after giving a friend a ride to a party I didn't really want to go to" recalls Filson. "I heard some cool bass licks coming from a room and went in to see who was playing. It was Scotty. Soon afterward, I introduced him to Steve and we started jamming". After performing a few local shows and honing their unique sound, the band took a short hiatus in 2010 and reformed in early 2011 under the name "Isaac Bear".

Issac Bear owes much of their sound to each of their individual influences, spanning an array of different artists. The band cites Abe Cunnigham, Deantoni Parks (Jenkins), Jimi Hemdrix, Tommy Emmanuel (Filson), Matt Freeman and Victor Wooten (Urquhart) as some of their biggest influences, while at the same time following the same template used by other 3-piece bands such as Cream and Rush. "We take our influences and mesh them all together and let them play out in our music" says Filson. Urquhart and I have a bonding moment as we reflect on Matt Freeman's bass lick on Rancid's Maxwell Murder from their 1995 studio album ...And Out Come The Wolves. The band are a likeable and eclectic trio, who also just happen to be extremely talented musicians. Indeed, while we conducted the first part of our interview, we cracked open a couple of Sierra Nevada's and relaxed on my front balcony in Midtown before heading to their assigned rehearsal room at House of Hits.

Given their young age and their almost virtuoso-esque musicianship, one could assume the band would have a pretentious ego commonly found in musicians pretaining to their music. However, nothing could be further from the truth. When I inquired about the orgins of the band's name, Filson said " Issac Bear is based on a cartoon character that Scotty had drawn". The drawing pictures a bear being propelled into the air after an explosive defecation. "We thought the character's name was a cool name for a band, and it stuck". As the band sets up for practice, I asked where the restroom was to which Urquhart quipped (dressed in a faded Kraft Macaroni & Cheese t-shirt) "Just follow your nose, man!". As I make my way to the restroom, the band breaks into a fit of laughter.

Despite such quirky behavior, Filson, the band's primary lyricist, tends to write ambiguously creative lyrics dealing with an array of serious topics. "I tend to write about things that are a little gritty but relatable to the average person. Our songs are mostly about the human experience with some spiritual undertones peppered into them". The band plans to release a demo in the near future and are currently filming a music video for their song "Flat Tire", to be completed in the fall. Their ultimate goal is to eventually release a concept album with an accompanying animated film featuring Urquhart's own artwork, some of which are showcased on the band's Youtube channel (http://www.youtube.com/isaacbearmusic) entitled "Isaac Bear's Dreamworld".

Keep an eye out for this talented local act in various venues around town and give a listen to a few of their tracks available on the band's Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/IsaacBearMusic) and ReverbNation (http://www.reverbnation.com/isaacbear) page. Once you enter Isaac Bear's dream world, you won't want to wake up.

Disclosure: Even before the band's inception in 2005, I've held a close personal friendship with each member of Isaac Bear. In the band's early days as Overlay, I had filled in temporarily as bassist before Urquhart joined in 2008, solidifying the trio.

Huey Lewis and The News

2011-08-15T02:20:19Z

Huey Lewis & The News rocked Thunder Valley Casino and Resort on Friday, playing to a sold-out crowd of over 3,500 cheering fans.

It was quite impressive watching as no fewer than 10 people (The News) stormed the stage while a booming heartbeat played in the background. As the crowd cheered, Lewis arrived onstage singing “The Heart of Rock & Roll” with the crowd joining in.

The next seven songs were off their new CD, “Soulsville,” which are soul cover songs from the Stax Records catalog. This earned a polite applause from the crowd with some shouts of “Hip to Be Square” and “Heart and Soul.” Starting with “Jacob’s Ladder,” Lewis got a bigger reaction out of the crowd. It was apparent the audience was looking for songs from the early years.

If anyone has seen Lewis perform in concert, then they know he always performs a couple of a cappella songs. Friday’s performance was no different. The audience thoroughly enjoyed the group’s rendition of The Dominoes’ “60 Minute Man” and “Uh-Huh,” both performed a cappella.

About an hour into the performance, Lewis had the audience on their feet with “Heart and Soul” and “I Want a New Drug.” That’s when I realized there was a sizable crowd gathered outside the amphitheater dancing and having a great time in the parking lot. To each their own. They serve alcohol in the amphitheater, not in the parking lot.

With a veteran 10-piece band that includes an awesome horn section, Lewis has a small arsenal at his disposal to perform a very diverse mix of songs. Add to that a 61-year-old voice, which, much like a fine wine, has matured with age. From the moment he hit the stage, his gravelly voice commanded attention and the audience was quite happy to give it.

There were a couple of Sacramento natives in the band. In the horn section was Johnny Colla, who was born in Sacramento and raised in Suisun. He is credited for writing "The Heart of Rock & Roll," "The Power of Love" and "If This Is It." Drummer Bill Gibson was also born in Sacramento and is currently living in Mill Valley.

It’s great to see a band like Huey Lewis & The News still going after all these years, although I was a little disappointed that they didn’t stick to their earlier hits. Playing songs from their “Soulsville” CD was nice, but I believe most people, myself included, would have rather had Lewis stick with the hits that brought him here, but, hey, someone has to keep working for a living.

Cats losing streak up to six in 7-3 loss to Round Rock

2011-08-14T00:17:07Z

On a night that had the Sacramento River Cats thinking about grounding up Round Rock Express pitcher Mark Hamburger, the first time starter was serving up filet mignon as he blanked Sacramento in his four innings of work to help the Express beat the Cats 7-3 at Raley Field on Friday evening.

For the home team, Josh Outman started to slip a little in the second when the hitters for Round Rock started taking him up the middle with several solid hits.

After Val Majewski and Joey Butler had back-to-back singles, Matt Kata hit into what looked like a tailor-made double play. Cats second baseman Andy LaRoche’s throw was offline and pulled Brandon Allen off the bag. With two men on, one of the power hitters for the Express, Brad Nelson strode to the plate and ripped a liner into right-center for a clean double that scored both base runners.

The other hitter in the Round Rock lineup with 20 homers - Chad Tracy - was up next and took a 3-1 pitch from Outman straight up the middle for a run-scoring single to give the Express a three-run lead after one and a half innings of play.

On the defensive side of things, Cats center fielder Jermaine Mitchell made a sweet diving catch on a sinking liner off the bat of Express catcher Robinson Diaz in the inning that helped put out the rally.

In the third, Cats catcher Josh Donaldson threw out former Cat and ex-Oakland Athletic Esteban German even though he got a great jump on a steal attempt from second. As Kouzmanoff had his glove waiting between the bag and the runners foot, Donaldson thew a bullet that hit Kouz in the perfect spot - right in the glove.

It wasn’t until the fourth inning that the Cats scratched out a hit against the long-time reliever. After Allen ripped a liner into center that was caught, Kouzmanoff hit a clean single for the first hit off of Hamburger. When the Jai Miller was hit by a pitch in the next at-bat, it looked like Sacramento would put some runs on the board against the right-hander.

With two outs, hope came to the plate by way of Chris Carter. The big man worked the count full before striking out on a fastball away to end the threat.

Hamburger was pulled after four innings of work and had a great line for a guy getting his first start in 168 appearances at the professional level. The guy hadn’t made a start since back in college in 2006!

“I was really excited when they told me I was going to start,” said Hamburger. “I’d done well in college so I always had a feel for starting.”

Even though Hamburger had a no-hitter going into the fourth, he knew the coach would only let him throw so many pitches before resting his “reliever” arm.

“I knew I was getting pulled. I had the feeling that if maybe I kept it a no-no, that maybe he would have kept me in there, but once I gave up the hit, I knew I was coming out.”

The boys from Round Rock added some extra cushion to the lead in the seventh when, in between striking out the side, Justin Souza gave up two doubles, a single and a two-run bomb that added an extra four runs to the Express’ lead.

The Cats would get one back in the seventh when Donaldson took one over the A’s logo tarp into left-center field but that was all they could muster in the frame.

Even though Donaldson was one of the lone bright spots for the Cats offensively going 2-for-4 with the home run, he knows that the Cats sticks aren’t right.

“I think for the most part, our guys are struggling a little bit at the plate, even myself lately,” said the Cats catcher. “We need to turn it around so we all finish strong at the end of the year.

In the eighth, newly acquired Allen absolutely crushed the ball over the Jiffy Lube sign and deep onto the grass near dead center for a solo shot to get the Cats to within five.

Then, on the strength of three singles out of the next four batters, the Cats scored another run on a Chris Carter single to bring the score to 7-3 with Round Rock leading.

With the bases loaded, Cats Manager Darren Bush pulled a rare minor league move - bringing in a pinch-hitter. For various reasons, it doesn’t happen much at this level.

The Cats best chance to do some significant damage this day came to the plate in the form of Adrian Cardenas. Cardenas, who had a nice at-bat, would bounce out to second on the seventh pitch he saw to end the inning.

The Cats’s comeback would fall short and the loss would give them six in a row.

Manager Darren Bush had no problems with tonight’s effort. It’s that he just wishes that the team would have played better on the road.

“We didn’t play very good on the road, that’s for sure,” said Bush after the loss. “We didn’t play good baseball. Tonight we played better. We did all the fundamental things correct. We just didn’t push across the runs. That’s okay. You need to play good baseball. Tonight we did, we just came out on the losing end.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF:

Sara Molina - RIVERCATS.com & Daniel Gutierrez - RIVERCATS.com

Peter Frampton

2011-08-08T13:42:22Z

Local guitar heroes Brian Wheat and Frank Hannon from the Tesla showed up to see legendary guitarist Peter Frampton play to a full house of hard core fans Saturday at Thunder Valley Casino and Resort.

The audience was chanting “Frampton! Frampton!” in anticipation of the start of the show. Just prior to the start, William Shatner’s voice came on the loud speaker to explain the no photography or video policy, although even before the end of the performance, videos were making their way on to Youtube.

Some of you may recall Tesla’s “Modern Day Cowboy” making it onto Guitar Hero 6. Well, they followed their guitar hero, who was featured in Guitar Hero 5 with "Do You Feel Like We Do" off his “Frampton Comes Alive!” album. So it was quite a treat to see the boys from Tesla meet one of their favorite guitarists.

Frampton started off the set with “Something’s Happening” and “Doobie Wah,” both songs keeping the crowd cheering and on their feet. “Lines on My Face” had the crowd sitting down, but giving him a standing ovation at the end of the song.

Cheers broke out as soon as he started “Show Me the Way”. In classic Frampton style he started in with his signature talkbox which really got the crowd going. While Frampton wasn’t the first to use the talkbox, he’s credited for bringing it mainstream with “Show Me the Way,” which was record in the ‘70’s. He’s been using it in concerts ever since.

The gracious Frampton said, just prior to starting “I Want to Go to the Sun,” that a guy by the name of Carlos had asked if he could sign one of his guitars, which was the same model used by Frampton. Frampton said not only would he sign it, but he would play it. After the song, Frampton invited Carlos up on stage to give him back the guitar and gave him a big hug.

After the show I was able to talk to Carlos Pereda about how all this came about. Believe it or not, Frampton keeps tabs on his Facebook page. Pereda posted a message on Frampton’s wall and Frampton responded that he would love to sign and even play the guitar. Arrangements were made with Frampton’s management team, and Pereda was able to hand off his guitar just prior to the show.

I heard Pereda telling the gentlemen to treat the guitar well because it was a special guitar that Frampton would be playing that evening. Pereda purchased the guitar used at the Concord Guitar Center several years ago and has always felt the guitar was something special. Well, Carlos, it is now!

The format of the night’s show followed the same format as the 25th anniversary deluxe addition of “Frampton Comes Alive!” including a 13-minute rendition of “Do You Feel Like We Do”. Frampton just recently ended his “Frampton Comes Alive 35” tour, where he performed the album in its entirety, with his performances lasting as long as three hours.

Doobie Brothers Smokin' at Thunder Valley

2011-08-08T03:21:51Z

The Doobie Brothers performed at Thunder Valley Casino and Resort to a sold-out crowd Friday night.

For those of you who don’t know the Doobie Brothers, they are rock group who formed in the ‘70s and were originally called Pud. Yes, I said Pud. One can only thank the heavens they decided to change their name to the Doobie Brothers. And yes, the name comes from that stuff referred to as pot. When smoked it’s also referred to as a joint, reefer, stick, roach, or a doobie.

Hey, can you spare a doobie, brother? I know. I crack myself up, too.

Opening with “Jesus Is Just Alright,” the eight-man band consisting of two drummers, three guitarists, bassist, saxophonist and keyboardist, kicked it into high gear from the very start. During their performance there were a lot of guitar changes, sometimes several per song. The guitars included four that were set up on their own stands, waiting for those magical fingers of Tom Johnston, Pat Simmons, John McFee and John Cowan.

As the sun made its way down, all the phones and cameras in the crowd were reminiscent of those late-night concerts with everyone holding up their lighters, paying homage to the band. The band got plenty of coverage with all those lights shining in the night.

Toward the middle of the set, the band played a couple of songs off their new album, “World Gone Crazy,” including “Far from Home.” Up to this point, the majority of the crowd had been on their feet. “Far from Home” had everyone sitting down, relaxing to a very mellow soulful sound that was both touching and inspiring. You can hear the band’s maturity both emotionally and musically in the song, as well as others from their new album. It’s obvious these guys are comfortable with who they are.

When they played “Back to the Chateau,” also from their new album, the audience was back on their feet, fists pumping and bodies shaking. The song is a reminder of the Doobie Brothers of yesterday, with a driving beat and pure rock ‘n’ roll. As I was watching the crowd’s reaction, I realized it was a great mix of young and old. There was a young, fully tattooed guy with his fists up in the air, shaking his body, while right next to him was an older, gray-haired guy with his fists up in the air, shaking his body. It’s obvious the music of the Doobie Brothers has transcended a generation — or two.

When the band started “Black Water,” the crowd immediately joined in. Everyone was singing, including bartenders, security personnel and ushers. However, the band abruptly stopped and told security to back away from the stage and let people dance. Johnston kept on security until they moved away from the front of the stage and let people up to the front.

To anyone who didn’t make it out to the concert and thought to themselves, not interested in listening to some old, boring Southern-style rock band, you made a huge mistake. Don’t make the same mistake next time.

Thunder Valley Casino and Resort has both an amphitheater and an indoor stage, bringing the area a wide variety of talent from around the world. Their outdoor concert series is in full swing, with scheduled appearances by Huey Lewis, Gabriel Iglesias, Hall and Oates, Lynyrd Skynyrd and more.

Each Sunday from noon to 5 p.m., you can now party poolside with music, drink specials, giveaways and contests. You can purchase tickets at Thunder Valley or online.

The Tubes

2011-08-01T02:48:55Z

The Tubes, one of the most theatrical new wave rock bands of the ’80s, brought their sometimes offensive and oftentimes outrageous show to Thunder Valley Casino and Resort Friday. They are best known for their onstage presence and hits like “She’s a Beauty,” “Talk to Ya Later” and “The Monkey Time.”

In an extravagant mix of theater, rock and social criticism, Tubes lead singer Fee Waybill started the show with “Haloes,” followed by a rant about the sad state of the economy and how Boehner was going to “f*** us some more.” Almost every other word from him was f*** or b****.

There were those in the audience who loved the show and others who seemed to want to bolt out of the room. However, Waybill’s stage presence kept everyone glued to their seats for most of the concert.

Waybill got off to a rocky start, sounding off key, and I was ready to suggest he retire. However, his second song, “It’s a Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World,” originally recorded by James Brown, left me wondering why he didn’t kick off the show with this song. He did a superb job, with a nice raspy blues sound. I thought this was one of the better songs of the evening.

He lost some of the audience due to his crude language and outrageous outfits. I know last week I said Pat Monahan of Train was in competition with Lady Gaga for multiple costumes changes, but scratch that. Waybill changed multiple times in a makeshift dressing room off to the side of the stage, arriving back on stage in some normal and not-so-normal outfits.

At one point he showed up in a Roman-style costume with barely any coverage in the lower extremities – front or back. Sadly, the front row was in the worst position of all, when at the end of the song Waybill turned to face the band and bowed in thanks, leaving the front row speechless, – or should I say sightless.

I thought Waybill was hit or miss for most of the concert, falling short on some songs and kicking it up a notch on others. I found his monologues mostly offensive due to his absurd views of women. He was also losing some of the audience, but that all quickly changed when he came out singing “White Punks on Dope” dressed as Quay Lewd, aptly named after the drug Quaalude.

As soon as Quay Lewd hit the stage, the crowd went wild, shouting back the chorus line, “white punks on dope,” and pointing back to Waybill. At this point, most people in the audience were on their feet, hands in the air, and moving to the beat.

“White Punks on Dope” has historically been their last song at concerts, so when the band left the stage, some audience members began filing out the door. Those who remained were treated to an encore that totally kicked the crowd into full gear.

Ending with “She’s a Beauty” and “Talk to Ya Later,” Waybill showed up in a costume reminiscent of a carnival hawker. The last two songs had the crowd gathered at the front of the stage dancing and shouting. At the end of the set, the entire band made their way to the front of the stage, where they shook people’s hands and thanked them for being there.

Train Hits Thunder Valley

2011-07-26T01:11:36Z

Grammy awarding winning, Train, not to be confused with the series of connected railroad cars pulled or pushed by one or more locomotives, thundered into town on Sunday and performed to a sold out crowd at Thunder Valley Casino and Resort.

Thunder Valley Casino and Resort really scored with signing on Train to perform at their outdoor amphitheater. Train just finished their Save Me San Francisco tour last month. Taking full advantage of their current success, they headed back out on the road with Maroon 5 and Gavin DeGraw for a summer tour. The band actually performed in Southern California Saturday with the others, drove by bus to Sacramento, then headed back down to Hollywood for a Monday night show with the rest of the group.

Train got off to a fashionably late start. Scheduled to appear at 7:00 p.m., they didn’t take the stage until 7:35 p.m. which I’m sure had everything to do with the sun beating on the stage at that hour of the day. When they finally took the stage, they were met with wild applause and deafening screams.

Guitarist Jimmy Stafford and drummer Scott Underwood took the stage to kick off the show. Already on stage were Bassist Hector Maldonado and keyboardist Jerry Becker. They were joined shortly after by lead singer/songwriter Pat Monahan singing, “Parachute.”

Monahan was nonstop throughout the concert. He was bouncing from one side of the stage to the other, the whole time delivering his uniquely expressive vocals. Monahan being a short and downright skinny dude - got a little assistance from a platform at the edge of the stage.

As the evening progressed, I think Monahan may have changed his wardrobe more than Lady Gaga (if that’s even possible). He started out with a shirt and vest, then went down to the shirt, came back out with another vest, and at one point donned a red jacket similar to the one Michael Jackson wore for thriller.

Being the funny man that he is, Monahan started off joking about how women always show up to their concerts all dressed up, but the men simply wear t-shirts. After Monahan walked out among the crowd, he said every time he does that there’s at least one ass grabber. 80 percent of the time it’s a dude, but today it was a 75 year old lady.

Fifteen lucky ladies who were dancing on the floor ended up dancing onstage. Monahan had them climb a makeshift ladder to get up on stage. One of the ladies actually started climbing with a drink in hand. She made it; the drink didn’t. Once they were all onstage, he instructed them to perform their most sexy dance as he sang, “She’s on Fire.”

This was a high energy show with a lot of audience interaction. On top of being a great singer and songwriter, Monahan makes for a great front man, keeping the audience engaged the entire performance. When they ended their set with “Drops of Jupiter,” it was obvious to me and everyone else that the concert had gone by way too quickly and we all wanted more.

Before the concert, I had an opportunity to talk with lead guitarist Jimmy Stafford about Train’s new venture, Save Me, San Francisco Wine Co. They recently released their first line of wine, Drops of Jupiter Petite Sirah. According to Stafford, their Petite Sirah was featured as the wine of the month at Bonefish Grills across the U.S. and is available at select stores and restaurants. The price tag – $9.99.

Stafford explained that the wine started out as a blend of various grapes from Livermore Valley’s Concannon Vineyards. Once they arrived at just the right blend, it was determined that the wine had a high enough percentage to call it a Petite Sirah (75 percent of the varietal must be present in the wine).

Being the wino that he is, Stafford says there’s nothing like a good glass of red wine before a show. He also told me they would be coming out with a Chardonnay and a Merlot in the near future, so keep an eye out for those.
After the concert, Caroline Logan approached the band asking if they could record a video for her girlfriend who was getting married to the song, “Marry Me.” She was visibly upset and crying, so Monahan grabbed the phone and started recording. He informed her friend that she was at the concert drunk and out of control. He was quite comical during the recording.

The song list for the show was:

Parachute
If It’s Love
Meet Virginia
She's on Fire
Calling All Angels
Latin routine of their various hits
Ramble On
Drive By (off their upcoming album)
Save me San Francisco
Ordinary
Marry Me
Hey Soul Sister
Free
Drops of Jupiter

Go to Thunder Valley Casino and Resort for a complete listing of upcoming events.

Asian Invasion at Thunder Valley

2011-07-18T02:22:17Z

The Asian invasion continued at Thunder Valley Casino Resort this weekend with the Vietnamese Hot Summer Concert. Some of the biggest names in Vietnamese entertainment were present. Some of the entertainers reside in the United States and cater to the Vietnamese population, so there was some English spoken during the show. I don’t speak a lick of Vietnamese, but I do like good music, so I was in luck.

The MC’s for the night were Nam Loc Nguyen and Bao Chau. In between artists either Nguyen, Chau or both would come out and introduce the next artist. Every time Chau came back on stage, she had a different dress. They were all long, flowing dresses that were quite colorful.

First up was Adam Ho. He came out singing “Hotel California,” and yes, it was in English. His second tune was in Vietnamese. Adam had a lot of energy and really played to the crowd, bouncing back and forth from one side of the stage to the other. At one point, he had a problem with his guitar. It seems he’s not used to using wireless.

Next up was Tam Doan. Doan was born in Vietnam and currently lives in Canada, making numerous trips to California to work on her recording career. She started off with a rumba sounding song entitled, “Can Nha Ngoai O.” Truong Vu joined Doan for her second song, “Mai Lo Hai Minh Xa Nhau.”

Vu did a great job and from what I could tell, he’s a crooner through and through. Much of the audience really enjoyed his song with Doan. After their song together, Doan left the stage and Vu sang “Voc Gac Dem Suong.” Considering the way all the women in the audience were reacting to his smooth vocals, this particular song was a love song.

Khanh Ly, who currently lives in Cerritos, California, came out and sang two songs, the second of which was a duet with Tuan Ngoc, “Nhu Mot Loi Chia Tay.” This was followed by Ngoc singing a solo of “Cry Me a River.”

Things started to pick up when Minh Tuyet started in with a melody that had a great cha-cha feel to it. Unfortunately, she got off to a rocky start. She arrived late and was unable to attend the rehearsal, so she had to work with the band in between songs to ensure they were in the right key. She went on to sing a duet with Luong Tung Quang.
After Tuyet left the stage, Quang started singing “The Gioi Khong Tinh Yeu.” A group of dancers joined him onstage to finish the song.

Thu Phuong played a steamy set, at least it looked steamy to me. I still hadn’t quite gotten the hang of Vietnamese, but by the way the men were reacting it was steamy. Phuong sang “Bai Tho Khong Doan Ket” and “Tinh Ho.”

Following Phuong was Lam Truong performing “Tinh Nhu Giac Mong Tan” and “LK Tinh Phai.” Truong was quite the looker with several women shouting out, “I love you.” The performer took it all in stride, but you could tell he was loving it.

Headlining the show was Hong Ngoc, who currently lives in Texas. Performing, “Chuyen Thuong Tinh The Thoi” and “Cho Mot Lan Chia Ly,” it was obvious she is the pop singer of the group. Her set started out slow and then finished fast with her hips doing all the work. She could give Shakira a run for her money; this girl can move.

Although I don’t speak Vietnamese, it was interesting to attend a concert where you can’t understand the language. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what language you speak when listening to music; It’s what moves you that counts.

A Busy Day in the Life of Access Sacramento

2011-07-17T05:05:41Z

Each day Access Sacramento's studio and office are filled with activity but this week has been particularly busy. Yes, T.D. Trice and Shane Carpenter continued to schedule television and radio programming 24/7. Yes, volunteers came and went with new programming and were busy with their focused production efforts. The phones continued to ring as Amy Lawrence signed up new members. Whew! Here's a snap-shot of a very busy day in the life of Access Sacramento - let the "name dropping" commence.

Studio production was busy with Richard Langley renovating the small room and working with community producer Bob Crimmins on using the "green studio" for a new program in partnership with Senior Magazine. He and Liz Harrison then welcomed public radio's "Insight " host, Jefferey Callison to read a chapter from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer for the Sacramento Bee "One Book Project". Simultaneously in the large studio, volunteers from the local Republican party interviewed citizen tax advocate Ted Costa. Evening production in the big studio continued with two local musical artists, Parie Wood and also Zach MacLachlan, recording individual episodes of "Listen Up, Sacramento!" under the watchful eye of co-producers Michelle Barbaria and Erika Kjelstrom.

Production knowledge also kept us busy as training sessions and staff recordings were conducted in a variety of locations throughout the County. Monday night found T.D. helping record Roseville's park and recreation department public meeting in their City Council chambers. Carlos Hernandez and Liz Harrison worked Tuesday morning with Sacramento County Public Health personnel training on the use of Skype. Liz finished the afternoon training staff and youth at Asian Resources on the fundamentals of Neighborhood News video production. Steve Bourasa welcomed 7 students to the latest Digital Camera class to finish a long "training day".

Video editing sessions were productive as well. The Media Lab was busy with multiple volunteer projects. Bhim Kumar-Reyes recreated the opening for the Little Capital Miss Pageant recorded on-location last Saturday night and commenced editing on the two-day "Disability Summit" Conference recorded in partnership with the California State Department of Rehabilitation. Carlos H. finished the editing on five one-hour programs capturing the day-long entertainment provided at the recent Pacific Rim Festival.

Your truly was busy making recommendations on a national e-mail thread on how to improve the national "Hometown Video Awards" judging procedures while simultaneously completing the minutes for last week's successful Neighborhood News and Youth Media Task Force meeting. I finished the day in a meeting with other local film festival leaders, celebrating the publication of a new "rack card" promoting the year-round film festivals - including Access Sacramento's Twelfth Annual "A Place Called Sacramento" in October.

And the fun continues this morning as the "green studio" welcomed Carlos Alcala, Bee reporter, to the Tom Sawyer project. Richard and I are leaving shortly for a production site survey at Fairytale Town for an upcoming Hometown-TV shoot. Later today, we will have a new member orientation session with more than 30 participants immediately followed by a quarterly radio producers meeting to discuss future LPFM applications for community radio, "The Voice". Livewire will have special guests from the "Restitution Project" and celebrate another weekly episode in this long-running series (since 1992).

But as busy as we currently are, there is always room for you - join us and you too can "make a difference, one voice at a time."

Disclosure: Ron Cooper is Executive Director of Access Sacramento

Rockin’ it at the State Fair

2011-07-16T00:45:34Z

I had the opportunity to meet with Troy Carlson, CEO of Stage Nine Entertainment Store and Exhibit Design, the creators of probably the most impressive exhibit at the California State Fair this year. “Rock U: The Institute of Rock ‘N’ Roll,” is located in building 5. This custom designed exhibit is an interactive adventure into one of America’s greatest institutions - Rock ‘n’ Roll. Admission is free with your entrance to the fair.

According to Carlson, “This really is a mix between a museum and an Exploratorium.”

The exhibit provides attendees museum style displays such as vintage posters and photos, while also providing plenty of hands-on exhibits.

The exhibit features interactive stations covering the different origins of rock ‘n’ roll. Attendees are greeted by a “media tower” infused with memorabilia, rock instruments and gold records that tower over the exhibit. It’s quite a sight to see when first entering the exhibit.

The design focuses on three distinct ways that people have experienced Rock ’n’ Roll over the years. First up is the “The Studio Experience,” displaying highlights of the early days of the recording process. This area will feature costumed characters on the weekends.

Second is the “The Concert Experience,” an interactive multimedia display celebrating the live performance aspects of Rock ’n’ Roll, incorporating an extensive collection of rock posters, vintage wardrobes and listening stations that focus on live performances of the world’s favorite bands. I'm betting Tesla will be in there somewhere.

The third area, “The Playing Experience,” allows the audience to wander through and experience different interactive stations that allow them to play and explore the basic instruments in a rock band. The really nice part about the hands-on instrument section is the ability to play onstage or off with your own personal headphones, sparing other attendees from having to listen to the guitar- or drum- challenged.

Hands-on exhibits include:

Can you feel it?
You hear a musical instrument being played and must guess which instrument it is. You then stick your hand into a box and feel the instrument. You don’t get to see it, only feel it.

One hit wonders
A song is played and you must guess who the artist is. Trust me, when you hear the song, the name of the artist will be on the tip of your tongue, but you never quite get it.
Rainbow Records, one of the few remaining manufacturers of vinyl records, has a display of records in various stages of being manufactured. Go check out their site to see a video and learn about the record making process.
A display of all the different ways we have listened to music, including a Walkman and a working 8-track player. Carlson stated that they have a number of 8-track players as backup and they had already had to replace one. I just hope he has a two year supply!
Once you’ve completed the circuit, step into one of Sacramento’s most famous record stores, Dimple Records. Carlson said they wanted people to experience the totality of the music experience of Sacramento. To do that, he invited Dimple Records to set up a store within the exhibit. The store is complete with vinyl records and a wall filled with the history of rock ‘n’ roll.

Throughout the fair, the exhibit will feature Elvis, Buddy Holly and other impersonators. YouTube sensation Brodie Cumming is scheduled to appear July 15-17 & 29-31. Cumming will be playing the top 100 rock riffs in one take.

The California State Fair runs from July 14 through July 31.

Tesla - New CD Released

2011-07-14T02:35:58Z

Fans started gathering at the Dimple Records on Arden Way around 5:00 p.m. in anticipation of Tesla’s latest CD, “Twisted Wires & the acoustic sessions.”

Upon entrance to the store, I heard the latest addition to the family singing - or should I say wailing - away as if he were onstage. Four month old Joe Bob Jeffrey Keith, son of lead singer Jeff Keith, was rockin’ the house just prior to Tesla taking center stage. That boy has a set of lungs to rival his dad’s. It took some time but Joe Bob finally calmed down and let Dad take center stage.

Lori Townsend, a longtime fan, was standing in line with couple Alfred and Shawna Lyon. They were excited to be there and were buying CD’s so each of the band members could sign the covers.

The Band was introduced by Pat Martin from 98 Rock. After a few questions, Tesla performed acoustic versions of “Signs,” “Love Song” and their brand new song “2nd Street.” It was fascinating to see the various cameras and camera phones popping up during the performance.

Their carefree and neighborly demeanor is one reason the band is one of the most loved bands of the 80’s. All the band members were gracious to their fans, shaking hands and talking to them as if they were old friends. In fact, Keith was being rushed over to the signing table, but stopped to take time to have his picture taken with a few fans along the way.

Both young and old were in line. Rick Paige stood in line for about 45 minutes to have his electric guitar signed by the band. Not to be outdone, his daughter Paige followed him with a CD cover.

The new album has a total of 12 songs with six original tracks that were recorded in 2005 at Brian Wheat’s recording studio, J Street Recorders. These recordings were the last with original member Tommy Skeoch who later left the band.

The remaining six tracks were recorded at guitarist Frank Hannon’s studio, including one new song, “Second Street,” and a newly recorded song dating back to their Geffen Record days, “Better Off Without You.” Last year on a nationally televised program, guitarist Frank Hannon stated that the song was a demo for Geffen and that Guns N’ Roses song, “Patience,” was their song note for note.

This CD reinforces the fact that Tesla started the “unplugged” craze back in the 90’s. Their acoustic renditions of lesser known songs such as "Shine Away" and "Caught In A Dream," are refreshing to listen to and have excellent guitar and harmonies. Keith’s vocals have definitely improved with age and remind me more and more of Steven Tyler. However, Keith continues to have a sound all his own, especially when backed by the likes of bassist Brian Wheat, guitarist Frank Hannon, drummer Troy Luccketta and newest member, guitarist Dave Rude.

While some people will be disappointed that there isn’t a lot of “new” material on the CD, the fact that they went out on a limb and recorded lesser known tracks speaks volumes about the band’s confidence and creative ability. Some people might argue that it’s not very creative to do a different version of an old song, but most bands are not willing to go out on a limb and put out songs that didn’t do well in the first place. For that reason alone I say hats off to the band and wish them luck on their upcoming tour and CD sales.

Fans will be pleasantly surprised.

Tesla Resonates at Thunder Valley

2011-07-11T02:39:25Z

In the late 1800s, a guy by the name of Nikola Tesla was busy inventing a new kind of transformer, not realizing the level of energy his name would carry into the future.

I’m not going to go into a lot of history since Tesla is a Sacramento band and most readers know who the hell these guys are. They started in the ’80s and, for the most part, were labeled a hair, metal, or glam band. As history has proven, those labels didn’t come close to describing their mix of soulful blues and metal.

While many “hair” bands of the ’80s are balding, gray and pretty much forgotten, Tesla remains one of the few ’80s bands still producing great music, both collectively and as solo artists. Yes, they’ve aged as we all have (thanks to radio personality Don Geronimo for pointing this out, but more on that later), but they’ve never sounded better, and Saturday night at Thunder Valley Casino and Resort was no exception.

Just before the show, the audience was treated to an appearance of the latest member of the Tesla family, Joe Bob Jeffrey Keith. It was kind of a family-album moment, and you could tell lead singer and father Jeff Keith was in his dad element. When he introduced the newest member his daughter Courtney handed off Joe Bob to their father.

The band kicked off the concert with “Forever More,” followed by “Hang Tough.” These guys are high energy and were constantly on the move. Band members were flinging picks throughout the show. I was afraid I was going to lose an eye.

Just prior to “Breakin’ Free,” the band pretty much challenged Don Geronimo. It appears there’s a bit of a tiff between Tesla and Geronimo. It all started when Tesla was asked to play at the Here We Rally at Cesar Chavez Park in support of the Kings. Just before the rally, Geronimo went on a rant about the band members. Bass player Brian Wheat took exception to his comments and posted his response on Tesla’s site.

I guess we’ll see if Geronimo responds. I can see it now. Thunder Valley Casino and Resort presents the “Ultimate Mud Wrestling Championship: Tesla vs. Don Geronimo.” I’ve never heard Geronimo’s show before, but I did listen to the show in question, and I’ve determined Geronimo gets off by demeaning people in general, so I wouldn’t take it too personally. However, what he did say, according to Wheat’s post, is pretty personal. This from a guy who, when he was just starting out, was fired for forging an FCC broadcasting license.

Back to the concert. Like I was saying, these guys are high energy. They were a blur of action until their acoustic set. I thought the audience would start to lose interest going to a mellower sound, but the crowd remained engaged, clapping as guitarists Frank Hannon and Dave Rude flawlessly performed “Love Song” with Wheat joining in.

For their last song, “Signs”, a lucky 98 Rock contest winner was invited to join the band onstage to sing the intro. Jody Snider was thrilled to learn that she had won the opportunity and was joined by a friend. They also had the opportunity to go backstage and have their picture taken with the band. The whole time they were bubbling with excitement.

Like the original Tesla coil, Tesla the band has just gotten bigger and better over time. Both the coil and the band now operate at extremely high-peak power levels with the ability to reach mucho megawatts (just ask the sound guy). They proved that Saturday night with a high-energy show. And to prove they still have it, Tesla will be at Dimple Records on Tuesday signing autographs and performing an acoustic set for the release of their new album, “Twisted Wires & The Acoustic Sessions.” They will be at 2433 Arden Way Sacramento, CA 95825-2411. Doors open at 6:00 p.m.

The CD has six original tracks that were recorded in 2005 at Wheat’s recording studio, J Street Recorders. These were the last recordings with original member Tommy Skeoch. Wheat’s studio burned down last year and, lucky for Tesla fans, not all their recordings were destroyed in the fire. Wheat is rebuilding, and rumor has it the new studio will be named The Trax.

Join the band out at Dimple Records and show them some Sacramento love!

As for Don Gerinomo. Donnie, I've never listen to you before today and I don't plan on listening to you again, but I've been listening to Tesla for over 20 years and will be listening for another 20.

Local Adventure on a Schwinn Tango Tandem.

2011-07-05T02:44:13Z

July 2011/Edition1 – Three Japanese places barely on your radar.
Location – Downtown 10th, 11th &12th Streets, between Broadway & R.

Summer is here. It’s hot. Tomato plants are hitting their stride – if you listen hard enough you can practically hear them growing inches by the hour. But it’s still early for the Early Girls, and it’s too hot to cook. So, time to take the cruiser for a spin and see what we can find.

R Street has new restaurants and is usually hopping. The city is repaving this neglected corridor and restoring the historic rail. (If only they would put a trolley on it.)

What's this? The new Shoki Ramen House!

Their first location off 2nd Ave near Crepeville always has a line out the door – definitely a sign of good food (and limited seating). This place specializes in ramen noodles which I like better than udon noodles. And there's no fish involved. These folks focus on one thing and do it well … reminds me of Tampopo – a Japanese “spaghetti western” from the late 80s. A look at the short menu and moderate prices ($8) assures me Shoki– like the movie – doesn't take itself too seriously. I slurped the noodles loudly and enjoyed every miso-flavored bite.

Back on the bike, we cruised to Fremont Park and found we had worked up a thirst. So we headed for the best snow cones in town – Osaka-Ya at 10th and V. The window on the left serves up the colorful cones and various other frozen treats. You may wait a bit, but the secret of their success is the fresh ice shaved-to-order. Inside the shop you can fine a variety of Japanese foodstuffs. Osaka-Ya’s other unique offering is authentic mochi – sweet rice paste stuffed with sweet fillings such as peanut butter (not ice cream).

We continued south on 10th street toward the city cemetery -- always a meaningful place for a bike ride and full of lively twists and turns on narrow lanes. We made our escape from the land of the inliving, exiting onto Riverside and ran into Yorozu Oriental Gifts (next to Target). This shop has been here since the 50s and is the place for all things Japanese: dishes, chop sticks, origami kits, cards, dolls, kites, books, magazines, etc.. I bought a carp wind sock called a Koi Nobori and tried on a pair of wooden geta (sandals). Browsing slowly through the store I almost thought I was in Tokyo for a moment ... it was a great way to end a local adventure on a hot afternoon.

Until next time, keep it low and slow…

Local businesses 'Like' Advanced Facebook for Business workshop

2011-06-21T07:29:15Z

93% of all American ~~adults~~ adult internet users are now on Facebook. While this is not a surprising statistic for anyone that has fielded a friend request from their mom, aunt or even grandpa, it does make it harder for small businesses to ignore Facebook as a platform to engage their target demographic. The argument that a business targets an older or less tech savvy demo than Facebook users just doesn’t hold water any longer.

Businesses without a Facebook presence are not just passing up a valuable opportunity to engage their customers, provide customer service, and gain new consumers; they're falling behind. But just being on Facebook and setting up a business page isn’t enough. A Facebook presence must be maintained and used strategically to add real value to your brand.

Enter Josh Unfried speaker at The Social Media Club of Sacramento's recent workshop, “Advanced Facebook for Business”. Unfried, the CEO of WindFarm Online Marketing, spent almost two hours teaching SMCSac members, many of whom run or work for local businesses, how to take their Facebook presence to the next level. In addition to the obvious benefits of improving customer connections, staying top of mind, driving sales through promotions and increasing visibility, Unfried asserts that Facebook is now allowing businesses to "transform customer service into marketing".

"Everyone is now able to watch how you handle a complaint, or answer a question," points out Unfried. "For those that give great customer service this is a tremendous opportunity. For those that don't, the consequences can be equally negative."

Once Unfried covered the benefits and FAQs of using Facebook, the advanced tips started to fly. Even those in the room who had seemed relatively smug about their Facebook skills were soon scrawling notes and asking in depth questions. Unfried walked through the steps of setting up a business page, not because most hadn't already done it, but because, he wagered, not all of them had done it as well as they could have. A few lesser known gems:

Facebook Business Account: Facebook generally requires users to have a personal profile in order to create a Facebook Business page. However, if you have no desire to ever have a personal Facebook profile and would like to manage a Facebook Business page only, it IS possible to create a Facebook Business Account, which does not require a personal Facebook profile.
'Tell Your Fans' feature: If you've created a new Facebook business page and are ready to start accruing 'likes' you can make sure all your current and loyal customers know about your page. Simply use the Tell Your Fans feature to upload a .csv file of your email database. From there you can do an email blast to your current contacts making them aware of your Facebook page and asking them to 'Like' your business.
Launch your page with a variety of content: before you 'Tell your fans' or share the page with your friends, make sure they don't see a blank or boring page when they get there. Videos and photos are the most engaging pieces of content a page can have. Make sure before you market the page you've already posted a mix of text, links, videos, and photos to make your page interesting when new users arrive.

Once the page is set up and ready to go, its time for the most important tool your Facebook page offers: engagement with your fans. Unfried spent a fair amount of time reiterating that engagement is key to successful Facebook marketing efforts. Increased engagement with your fans not only endears your brand to those you're engaging with, it keeps your posts higher in their news feed. The 'Top News' feed posts are ranked by which posts users are interacting with most. An engaged discussion with many comments and likes will keep your brand at the top of your 'fans' news feeds for much longer than it might otherwise.

"Does this inform? Does it inspire? Does it entertain? Does it connect?" he asks. "Ask yourself this before you post from your page."

And don't discount the "magic of randomness". Unfried shared an example of a client that is family dentist in Roseville. The most popular post shared on their wall was simply, "What color is your toothbrush?" Something about the question proved to be irresistible to the dentist's fans. The dentist was able to stay top of mind for each of their Facebook fans as they read and debated toothbrush colors. That single post allowed the dentist to remain at the top of the Top News feed for several days.

Tidbits such as these just scratch the surface of the (over) 90 minute presentation. Workshop attendees were so engaged, that as
Unfried noticed his time running low with some great content still to cover, the audience urged him to continue past his allotted time in order to glean more Facebook wisdom. When one member asked how to convert a personal profile to a business page, Unfried directed those interested to his detailed blog post on the subject, as it was more than time allowed.

Other topics covered in the workshop included growing your Facebook presence, Facebook ads, engaging other businesses, connecting Facebook to your website and more. To see Josh Unfried's Advanced Facebook for Business presentation in its entirety watch the archived UStream.

This 80 person event, which included food provided by Ten 22, beverages by Chic-fil-a, and prizes from the Sacramento Business Journal, was open to members of the SMCS and the general public. SMCSac simply requested a $10 donation to help the club continue to organize events and workshops about various social media topics. For more information about upcoming Social Media Club, Sacramento events, follow @SMCSac on Twitter. To attend the July 12th SMCSac event, register for Social Media & Motherhood on Eventbrite.com.

Disclosure: Megan Emmerling is a member of Social Media Club of Sacramento

How dads can help with Little League, Boy Scouts

2011-06-17T02:51:44Z

Bob Tanaka has a long personal history with the Boy Scouts. Now the father of a 13-year-old, Tanaka serves as a scoutmaster for his son’s troop in Sacramento.

But Tanaka, 47, brings plenty of experience to his scoutmaster duties: He earned the prestigious title of Eagle Scout during his own days with the Boy Scouts.

“Scouting meant a lot to me as a youth,” Tanaka said, “and I appreciate the opportunity to serve again as an adult.”

Tanaka said he volunteers around 30 hours per week with Troop 50, which meets at the Buddhist Church of Sacramento at Riverside Boulevard and Broadway.

“I grew up in this program in the late ’70s and early ’80s,” Tanaka said, adding that scouting is a “lifetime experience” that he treasures.

Local Boy Scouts and Little League groups provide ways for fathers to volunteer, connect with and support their children.

Tanaka, a civil engineer for CalTrans, said he encourages fathers to volunteer with the scouts because “it’s very worthwhile and very rewarding.”

Bob Cardosa, a state worker, also volunteers time to help his children and other young kids. Cardosa is manager for the Land Park Pacific Little League and the father of a 9-year-old girl, Kelly, who played on the team. The last game for the season was June 8.

Cardosa, 52, coached his three other children in the past when they were younger.

He said he enjoys watching the players start at a beginning point and then later learning the game to the point where they “make a play that blows you away.”

To volunteer with local Boy Scout Troops, call 929-1417 or log onto www.beascout.org.

To learn more about the Land Park Pacific Little League, visit http://www.lppll.com/.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Layoffs of 35 city cops avoided

2011-06-15T05:37:18Z

Thirty-five police jobs were saved from proposed layoffs after the Sacramento Police Department received a waiver on a federal grant that funds officer positions, spokesman Sgt. Norm Leong confirmed late Tuesday night.

The number of proposed layoffs in the 2011/2012 budget for Sacramento police officers has dropped from 81 to 46.

The City Council will vote next week on proposed budget cuts that include layoffs of cops and other Police Department staffers. Council members were weighing whether to lay off 81 police officers, but the grant waiver means they will decide whether to lay off 46 officers. The council will also choose whether to lay off 68 civilian police department staffers – those proposed cuts were not affected by the federal grant waiver.

The city is facing a $39 million budget gap for the 2011/2012 fiscal year.

"This grant exemption is a positive in an otherwise difficult budget year,” Police Chief Rick Braziel wrote in a Tuesday night press statement. “We are thankful for the quick approval of this grant exemption, which would not have been possible without the efforts of Bernard Melekian from the Department of Justice, the support of Congresswoman Doris Matsui and the hard work of our police staff.”

Meanwhile, Interim Deputy City Manager Betty Masuoka told the City Council at a Tuesday night budget hearing that she had no update on any labor concessions from city unions. Despite the standstill, “staff continues to have an open door” to negotiations with city unions, she said.

In addition, the city could still negotiate with the unions for possible concessions after the budget is approved, Masuoka said.

While Councilman Darrell Fong, a retired police captain, has said he intends to vote for the police cuts, he announced at Tuesday’s council meeting that he would redirect his City Council salary for the 2011/2012 fiscal year to the Police Department’s budget.

The base pay for Sacramento City Council members is $60,800 annually.

“I’m hopeful as we continue between now and next week to keep having discussions and hope to get to a better place,” Mayor Kevin Johnson said at the meeting.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Tap and Table: for beer bellies with a cooking problem

2011-06-15T05:24:24Z

Sunday afternoon, a small group of local foodies gathered at Tap and Table headquarters to enjoy a four course meal, each course paired with an American craft beer. As Tap and Table's motto hails, it was a culinary event for "beer bellies with a cooking problem."

Darin Michaels and Emily Baime, who run Community Tap and Table out of their home, offer four to eight cooking classes a month, and are even available for private parties. July's gourmet food and beer pairing focused on "Makin' Bacon and summer flavors."

Michaels and Baime started these classes due to their mutual passion for good food and great beer. Michaels has a background in brewing and works in beer and wine distribution. Baime, who started her career in catering and event management, solidified her love for cooking while traveling abroad. Together, their shared hobbies have become a fun and engaging way to introduce others to a hands-on culinary experience.

After starting off small, catering their classes to a group of friends, Tap and Table's Gastropub feel has gained popularity.

"We are coming up on our one year anniversary in August. We have filled about 400 seats total,” explained Baime.

Any given class could accommodate from four up to eleven people. A bigger group might mean a livelier class with more courses, whereas a smaller class could provide a more intimate setting for cooking and teaching.

Sunday's cooking class was an intimate and laid back environment with only six people in total. The task at hand, cooking a gourmet meal, seemed less daunting in such a casual and comfortable setting. Class attendees enjoyed appetizers, drinks and introductions while awaiting the start of the session.

Together, Michaels and Baime started off the class by introducing the menu, giving a background on their ingredient selections and explaining any food preparations done prior to the start of the cooking session.

"We try to buy most of our ingredients organic and local," Baime reported.

Sunday's class featured bacon and ribs sourced from local, hormone free, farm raised pigs.

Students had a hands-on demonstration of home curing pork belly into delicious nitrate-free bacon and were given a lesson on the differences between factory made, flash-smoked bacon and the artisan bacon they would be tasting later on in the day.

The ribs were prepared earlier that morning by coating them in plain mustard and a special spice rub that included brown sugar, curry, paprika and a pinch of cayenne. Michaels happily admitted that they got up at seven to prepare for the afternoon class, and that the ribs would be on the barbeque for a total of six hours.

Following the initial discussion, the class was split up and assigned recipes in groups. Jessica and Dave Grigsby, who jointly tackled the first course, admitted this was their second Tap and Table class.

"I don't normally enjoy drinking beer," stated Jessica, explaining her initial hesitance to attending last month's Carnitas cooking session, "but the class was so much fun!"

The first course consisted of honey-glazed nectarines with a chimichurri sauce. The fruit was brushed with creamy honey and grilled on the barbecue, then topped with sharp white cheddar and an accompanying sauce. The surprising, but delectable, combination of flavors in this dish is a favorite among class participants.

This dish was paired with Pyramid Apricot Ale, a lighter wheat beer. As attendees enjoyed the first course, Michaels gave some background on the beer selection and the reason for this particular pairing. The beer's apricot flavor complements fruit and cheese dishes.

In between courses, Baime shared some personal stories relating to her interest in cooking. During a year abroad in Australia, she was involved in a cooking competition called Tasting Australia. She later traveled around Europe and participated in similar cooking programs.

"Food does not have to be hard!" Baime explained, emphasizing the fun aspect of playing around with simple ingredients and recipes. This fact was evidenced in the simple, yet full bodied flavor of the second course.

A simple salad was next up, topped with a creamy dressing and two different types of bacon. The bacon, which had been smoked and cured beforehand, was cut into thick cubes and fried similar to pancetta. One was cured in a mesquite rub with maple syrup and spices; the other was encrusted with pomegranate salt, juniper berries, bay leaves and rosemary.

The juniper bacon was the all around favorite.

"It's like bacon nirvana,” said Jessica Grigsby, “it just doesn't get any better."

The second course was paired with Lost Coast Downtown Brown, a beer that won the gold medal in its category at the California State Fair and also medaled at the Great American Beer Festival. Michaels explained that the roasted malt flavor was big enough to complement the animal fat in the second dish.

The third, and main, course consisted of slow-roasted babyback ribs with a blackberry barbecue sauce. The ribs were served with jalapeño infused rice. The sauce was made with the same porter that Michaels paired with the dish. The Black Butte Porter is a rich, dark beer that complemented the sweet flavoring of the ribs. The beer comes from Deschutes Brewery in Oregon and uses a lot more malt than the average porter.

The final course of the evening was spicy chocolate paired with the Old Rasputin Imperial stout. Class participants experienced bites of balsamic and cinnamon chocolate while enjoying the rich, delicious beer.

Michaels described stouts are "the axe murderer of all beers," and explained that the full-bodied taste is meant for desserts or courses at the end of a meal.

By the end of the fourth course, class attendees were satiated with excellent food that they learned to prepare themselves, and a recipe packet of all foods served. Tap and Table focuses on providing culinary knowledge based on a local, seasonal menu.

Upcoming classes include Bacon and Microbrews, Summer Jams and Preserving Tomatoes and even a brewery tour. June will also feature guest chef Buddy O'Dell of Paragary's Restaurant Group, while July will feature guest chef Shane Tracewell.

Joining the club is free and each class has nominal fee that covers food and beverages. Any excess costs are donated to a local non-profit that connects the community with food.

Community Tap and Table cooking classes are a gastronomical experience not to be missed. Come hungry because you will leave with a very full beer belly.

Access Sacramento Annual Meeting - "LIVE" on Channel 17 Thursday at 7:00 PM

2011-06-15T05:07:07Z

Celebrating our 25th year of incorporation, the nonprofit community media center Access Sacramento hosts the annual membership meeting Thursday June 16 7-8 PM . You are invited to attend the event in the television studio at the Coloma Community Center or just watch the event on cable TV channel 17 or streamed on the web site www.AccessSacramento.org to any computer in the world.

The 15 member Board of Directors will offer highlights of the year past and look forward to another year of Hometown-TV events, Game of Week football and basketball, "Listen Up, Sacramento" local music, and arts and entertainment reporting weekly on "Livewire". Ten new films are in production in the 12th Annual "Place Called Sacramento" film project.

Learn more about the latest project - South Sacramento's five Neighborhood News Bureaus (NNB). To check out new online stories from underserved communities, go to www.AccessLocal.tv and join in the year-round training workshops.

Want to learn more? Tune-in and watch or call (916) 456-8600 ext.0

Guide to firefighters' pay and benefits

2011-06-12T23:37:33Z

The Sacramento City Council’s tentative decision last week to make major cuts to public safety brings police and firefighter jobs into the spotlight.

Six City Council members said they intend to raise the number of brownouts or alternating closures of fire services from two to four.

While the city has no plans to lay off firefighters, the public debate over possible cuts to public safety begs the question: How much do firefighters in the city get paid? How do their benefits work?

The brownouts may be part of the final budget the City Council is expected to approve on June 21. The city is facing a $39 million deficit.

The Sacramento Press published a guide to police officers’ pay and benefits on June 5, and is now looking at firefighters’ salary and benefits.

Firefighter pay

There are several kinds of unionized jobs in the Sacramento Fire Department, according to data on the city’s website. These job titles are firefighter, firefighter/paramedic, engineer, engineer/paramedic, captain, captain/paramedic and battalion chief.

About 500 employees hold these positions, Michael Stover, administrative officer for the department, said.

“It must be noted that the current pay rates for members of Local 522 (the Firefighters’ union) are frozen until January 2012,” Stover noted.

The salary for the firefighter job ranges from $53,534 to $65,071, according to salary data published on the city’s website. A firefighter/paramedic can earn from $58,888 to $71,579 annually, in base pay.

Engineers earn anywhere from $63,613 to $77,322. Salaries for engineer/paramedics start at $66,157 and go up to $80,415. Engineers, who conduct “specialized firefighting work,” drive the fire engines/trucks and operate the pump machinery on fire engines, must have worked as a Sacramento firefighter for four years, according to the city’s website.

Pay for captains ranges from $71,917 to $87,416. Captains are supervisors who must have worked as a firefighter for five years. A salary range of $74,794 to $90,913 is for captain/paramedics.

Battalion chiefs – supervisors who outrank captains – are paid anywhere from $92,745 to $112,732.

The department has eight sworn top managers – a fire chief, two deputy chiefs and five assistant chiefs, according to Stover. For example, a fire deputy chief earns between $112,629 to $168,943. Assistant chiefs are top managers who outrank battalion chiefs.

Read the salary data for all of these jobs here.

Retirement and other benefits for firefighters

Like police officers and managers, firefighters do not pay toward their retirement benefits. A recent audit of employee benefits by City Auditor Jorge Oseguera’s office said the city covers all CalPERS retirement system contributions for firefighters, police officers and managers.

Meanwhile, city employees in other fields pay retirement contributions.

The audit stated that the city could save roughly $7.9 million on average annually if all of its workers, including firefighters, paid 4 percent of their earnings toward their retirements. Unionized fire employees also receive a health and welfare benefit from the city, basic life insurance, 12 days of vacation per year with the ability to accrue two more floating days each year, 24 hours of holiday time and 12 sick days, according to Kimberly Isaacs, city human resources manager for benefits and retirement.

Additional information about firefighters’ benefits is outlined in the Sacramento Area Fire Fighters Local 522 contract with the city, which can be read here.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Sheriff aims for no layoffs

2011-06-11T00:09:42Z

Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones is trying to prevent his department from having to lay off any employees despite facing a $4.3 million budget shortfall, according to Jones’ spokesman, Deputy Jason Ramos.

The county budget was approved Thursday by the Board of Supervisors. Jones told the supervisors earlier this week that he recently brought down his department’s $26.7 million shortfall to $9.5 million. The Board of Supervisors restored $5.2 million to his budget Thursday, leaving a gap of $4.3 million.

The supervisors resolved the county’s $90 million gap by making severe cuts. County Budget Officer Tom Burkart estimated that more than 200 layoffs may occur as a result of the budget. The county’s total budget is $3.5 billion, with a $1.9 billion general fund.

Ramos said that Jones’ highest priority is to avoid lay offs. Jones recognizes the possibility for layoffs exists, but he is trying to prevent even one layoff, Ramos said.

The Sheriff’s Department will examine whether it can make further cuts to services without layoffs, according to Ramos.

In 2009, the department laid off 122 sworn full-time sheriff’s deputies, Ramos said, adding, “Basically, we were decimated.”

Ramos said Jones is “committed to not having anybody else lose their job, if at all possible.”

The $26.7 million hole resulted in part from from personnel expenses and the drop of funding from vehicle license fees, according to Jones’ budget presentation. Jones said he would bring down the $26.7 million to $9.5 million in part through lower health benefit expenses and internal cuts. He also hopes to obtain $5.1 million in state vehicle license fees, he wrote in his presentation.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

County approves budget, layoffs expected

2011-06-10T01:22:31Z

Sacramento County elected officials approved a budget Thursday that could result in more than 200 employee layoffs, according to county budget officer Tom Burkart.

These layoffs for the 2011/2012 fiscal year are in addition to the 1,299 layoffs the county has made since the 2008/2009 fiscal year, said county spokeswoman Chris Andis.

She added that 1,299 people were actually laid off as opposed to job positions being cut.

The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors balanced its budget for the 2011/2012 fiscal year on Thursday afternoon, closing out a $90 million shortfall. The county has a general fund of $1.9 billion and a total budget of roughly $3.5 billion.

The approved budget is a first version – the supervisors will pass a final budget in September.

While Burkart provided an estimate for upcoming layoffs, exact figures were unclear Thursday.

“As a board member and member of this community, it weighs heavily on me that over the past several years, we’ve laid off hundreds and hundreds of people,” Supervisor Don Nottoli said at Thursday’s budget meeting.

The people who will be laid off attend local churches, shop in local stores and send their children to local schools, he said.

Interim County Executive Officer Steven Szalay estimated that more than 300 job positions will now be removed. That number does not include lost job positions from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department and the District Attorney’s office, Szalay said.

District Attorney Jan Scully and Sheriff Scott Jones are responsible for calculating their departments’ lost positions and possible layoffs.

The loss of about 300 positions – which does not include the D.A’s office and the Sheriff’s Department – may translate to about 200 actual layoffs, Burkart said.

Positions are different from layoffs because they can include vacancies. The county also uses a complicated system of demotions as part of the layoff process, which can affect the number of actual layoffs.

The Sheriff’s Department had faced a $26.7 million shortfall, but Jones recently pared down that number to $9.5 million. Thursday, the Board of Supervisors brought down Jones’ budget shortfall to $4.3 million.

Jones was scheduled to hold a press conference late Thursday afternoon. The Sacramento Press will follow up on any information about possible layoffs at the Sheriff’s Department on Friday.

The District Attorney’s office is facing a $6.2 million shortfall in response to the Board of Supervisors’ budget approval. Scully’s office had a $13.3 million gap in February. She brought it down to $8.6 million. The supervisors restored about $2 million to the D.A.’s budget, leaving it with a $6.2 million gap.

In a press advisory released after the budget approval, Scully said the upcoming cuts to her office would hurt residents.

“Arrests take criminals off the street – only prosecutors keep them off the streets,” she said. “It is the responsibility of the Board of Supervisors to fund prosecutions for the entire county – the unincorporated areas and all of the cities.

“Most of the cases my office prosecutes come from the cities. By failing to take that into account, the board shortchanged more than 60 percent of our residents.”

Scully will speak publicly next week about how the cuts will affect her office, according to the news advisory.

While exact layoff figures are unclear, Andis provided statistics showing that the the departments of Human Assistance and Transportation are among other departments with filled positions slated to be cut.

The county’s drop in revenues since the 2007/2008 fiscal year has been a central reason for the county’s poor financial state, Szalay said in May. Since then, the county’s revenues from property, sales and motor vehicle taxes have dropped by more than $100 million, he added.

State budget cuts have also hurt the county, according to Szalay.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Council intends to make major public safety cuts

2011-06-08T07:44:49Z

The Sacramento City Council’s tentative decision Tuesday night to make severe budget cuts to public safety is not final, but it made a big statement.

Council members voted 6-3 to say they intend to make budget cuts later this month that include layoffs of 82 sworn cops and increases in brownouts or alternating closures for fire services.

A big caveat to the tentative decision is the council’s statement that it is still open to further negotiations with the city’s public safety unions.

Tuesday’s hearing drew intense public interest. Many people arrived more than an hour early to the 6 p.m. meeting. Shortly before 5 p.m., about 70 people waited in line for the doors at City Hall to open.

About 340 people were at City Hall around 6:15 p.m. The 230 seats inside the City Council’s chambers were filled, and another 110 people were outside, in the lobby and in a second-floor overflow area.

A City Hall police security officer estimated at 7 p.m. there were 400-450 people at City Hall.

City leaders are facing a $39 million deficit for the 2011/2012 fiscal year. The City Council is expected to approve a budget June 21.

Council members Jay Schenirer, Sandy Sheedy, Rob Fong, Kevin McCarty, Darrell Fong and Bonnie Pannell voted to say they intend to make public safety cuts, among other reductions, though they may still negotiate with unions for changes to the cuts.

Council members Angelique Ashby and Steve Cohn and Mayor Kevin Johnson voted against the tentative decision.

Schenirer proposed the tentative decision, stating that cuts to public safety were necessary in order for the city to get on a fiscally responsible track.

“The right thing happens to be the more difficult thing this year, unfortunately,” he said.

The proposal includes $12.2 million in cuts to the Police Department and $9 million in cuts to the Fire Department.

The suggested cuts include layoffs of 82 sworn cops in the Police Department and 68 civilian personnel, according to updated statistics provided Tuesday night by Sgt. Norm Leong, police department spokesman.

The department could restore 35 staff if it obtains a waiver on a federal grant, according to city officials.

“I just can’t, in good conscience, support a budget where we’re going to cut $12 million from police,” Johnson said.

In addition to its tentative decision, the council made a final decision Tuesday night to approve a federal grant for the Sacramento Fire Department. The funding from the federal government comes from the federal Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant Program.

The six council members also said they intend to make fire cuts that would raise the number of alternating closures, or “brownouts,” of fire services from two to four. Without the grant, the city would be weighing whether to make six brownouts.

The city manager’s office is not proposing layoffs for the Fire Department.

As part of the 6-3 vote, the council also said it intends to keep 11 community centers open without setting aside any money for them through the Department of Parks and Recreation. It’s unclear how that can be accomplished. Schenirer suggested that neighborhoods could help keep the centers open.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

New group of city employees unionizes

2011-06-02T01:17:03Z

A group of 103 city employees including workers’ compensation claims representatives and administrative analysts will likely be represented by a new union, according to city spokeswoman Amy Williams and labor organizer Dee Contreras.

A majority of the group of workers, who had not previously been represented by a union, recently signed cards in favor of joining a new union, the Sacramento City Exempt Employees Association, Williams said last week.

The signed cards were verified by California’s Mediation and Conciliation Service, according to Williams.

By unionizing, the analysts and other workers in the group will be able to negotiate with management on policies that affect them, according to Contreras, who is organizing city employees in the new union. She is the former labor relations director for the city.

“The reality is, those people want to help the city,” Contreras said. “The goal is to do as much as they can to help the city, but to get recognition and to participate in that decision-making process.”

Williams said the city plans to formally recognize the new union next month.

“By law, we support our employees’ right to organize for the purposes of collective bargaining,” Williams said. “A majority of a group of employees has authorized a union to represent them. The city will grant that right at the end of the 30-day notice period, which ends on June 20.”

During the 30-day period after the cards were verified, a competing union can apply to represent the group of city employees, Williams said. But according to Contreras, no other union has said it wants to represent the group of 103 employees.

Contreras formally told the city manager’s office about her plans to organize three groups totaling 677 employees, including the group of 103 staffers, in February.

She said she is currently negotiating with the city’s human resources and labor relations officials and the city attorney’s office over plans to unionize the other two groups of employees. One of the groups includes managers and the other group includes staff assistants.

If Contreras eventually organizes all three groups, the total will likely be less than 677 people. That’s because city officials and Contreras have been discussing whether some of the employees in those groups should not be part of the union, according to Contreras.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Local libraries to face budget cuts

2011-06-01T05:27:58Z

The Sacramento City Council is likely to make major cuts to local library services, according to a preliminary vote by council members Tuesday night.

Seven of the nine City Council members voted that they intend to cut the Sacramento Public Library Authority by nearly $800,000 when they approve the city’s budget in June. The authority runs 28 libraries in Sacramento County and its proposed budget for the 2011/2012 fiscal year is $35.7 million.

Councilwomen Sandy Sheedy and Angelique Ashby voted against the plan to make $792,121 in cuts to libraries next month.

The City Council is expected to make widespread cuts to services to resolve a $39 million budget gap for the 2011/2012 fiscal year. Tuesday’s budget hearing addressed the city’s funding for its partner agencies, including the library and the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The Sacramento Public Library Authority has several government agencies on its board, including officials from the city, the county and other cities in the county.

“You’ve been cut past the bone,” Sheedy told Sacramento Public Library Director Rivkah Sass at the City Council meeting. “I think we’re in the marrow.”

The council made its decision after library supporters made public comments arguing against the cuts.

“It’s really the young people that really need us in the neighborhood,” Pauline Grenbeaux, president of Arden-Dimick Friends of the Library, told the City Council.

Allison Yamamoto, a sophomore at C.K. McClatchy High School, told council members that a library staffer sent her information on how to apply for a summer program focused on international leadership. Yamamoto said she applied and then received a scholarship to attend the program.

“Without the library, I would have never even had this opportunity,” Yamamoto said.

Meanwhile, city budget cuts planned for the Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau would shut down a visitor center in Old Sacramento and dissolve the Sacramento Film Commission.

However, no one spoke at the City Council meeting about cuts proposed for the bureau.

Read the city staff report about the proposed library cuts here.

The Library Authority’s proposed budget is here.

Read the city’s schedule for budget hearings here.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

County to confront $90 million gap

2011-05-28T01:15:16Z

The proposed budget Sacramento County released Friday calls for major cuts to close a $90 million gap.

At least 320 employee positions are proposed for cuts. It’s unclear how many of these position cuts may translate to layoffs.

Interim County Executive Officer Steven Szalay’s proposed budget serves as a series of suggestions to the Board of Supervisors, which will hold votes and make decisions on the budget.

“Approval of this recommended budget, with unavoidable reductions, is an important step to continue recovery from our fiscal crisis and will improve the budget picture for next year and beyond,” Szalay wrote in a document dated for the Board of Supervisors’ June 6 budget hearing.

According to Szalay’s document, the 320 positions figure does not include positions in the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department and the District Attorney’s office. There may be additional positions cut from those departments.

The budget documents are now online.

Read Szalay’s letter to the Board of Supervisors on the budget here.

Budget hearings start June 6 at the Sacramento County Administration Building, 700 H St.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Council sets new hearing on parks, police and fire

2011-05-25T16:47:49Z

If you thought the last few budget hearings on proposed budget cuts to the city’s parks, police and fire services were heated, just wait until June 7.

At the close of a nearly four-hour budget meeting on proposed cuts to the Sacramento Fire Department Tuesday night, the City Council unanimously decided to discuss the cuts again on June 7.

But the June 7 meeting will be different from previous hearings because the council decided it will discuss all the controversial budget cuts – to the Parks and Recreation, Police and Fire departments – at that time.

Councilman Rob Fong said the cuts should be discussed all at the same time because the city does not have enough money to prevent cuts to those departments.

The council does not have funds to restore money to one of the three departments without cutting money from another of the departments, Fong said.

“When anyone comes and says ‘don’t cut us, just keep us whole,’ please understand what you’re really asking us to do is cut them,” Fong said.

“When the police say don’t cut us, they’re saying ‘cut the fire department’ ... because that’s where we are – it’s a zero-sum game. We don’t have enough money,” Fong said.

City leaders are wrestling with a $39 million budget gap for the 2011/2012 fiscal year.

Council members indicated Tuesday night that they will likely approve a federal grant for the Fire Department next month. Several council members said Tuesday night that they support the idea of approving the $5.6 million in federal funds from the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant Program.

The department has already been selected to receive the grant and is waiting on the council to approve it.

If the council signs off on the federal grant, the proposed cuts to the Fire Department would be lessened. The department would still face “brownouts” or alternating closures of fire services, but the number of brownouts would be less severe.

The department now closes two fire companies on an alternating schedule. The current budget proposal from Interim City Manager Bill Edgar and Interim Deputy City Manager Betty Masuoka would bump the number of these closures to six.

But the federal grant money would bring the number down to four, according to Fire Chief Ray Jones. The department would still see an increase from two to four, but not from two to six.

Jaymes Butler, municipal vice president of Sacramento Area Fire Fighters Local 522, told the council Tuesday that the cuts would hurt communities.

“Whole communities will be without emergency medical response and fire,” Butler said.

In a press conference before the City Council meeting, firefighters protested proposed cuts to their department.

When talking about the proposed cuts at the press conference, Butler said firefighters would be “laid off.” However, when pressed by reporters if there would be “out-the-door” layoffs, Butler said that 49 positions slated for cuts were not filled and no current workers would actually be laid off.

Earlier Tuesday, Mayor Kevin Johnson commented on the proposed budget cuts. When asked about proposals to save money with cuts to police and fire, Johnson said he'd rather hear from all departments and get information from them before the council makes a decision on what they can or can't do.

"I've said from day one I want to hold the line on public safety if at all possible,” Johnson said. “And that's police and fire. Certainly parks and being a full-service city are very important."

Video by Kathleen Haley

Staff Reporter Suzanne Hurt contributed to this report. Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Firefighters protest proposed budget cuts

2011-05-25T03:49:35Z

About 150 firefighters and their families protested the city’s budget proposal Tuesday night to cut $9.1 million from the Sacramento Fire Department. As part of press conference held to protest the cuts, the fire department staffers stood in a large group outside City Hall to show their opposition.

The city is facing a $39 million budget gap for the 2011/2012 fiscal year. The idea to make cuts to the Fire Department is included in the budget plan proposed by Interim City Manager Bill Edgar and Interim Deputy City Manager Betty Masuoka. Final decisions on the budget will be made by the Sacramento City Council next month.

A group called Protect Sacramento, led by Sacramento Area Fire Fighters Local 522 and the Sacramento Police Officers Association, held a press conference Tuesday evening to protest the proposed cuts. The press conference was held shortly before the start of a City Council budget hearing on the Fire Department.

The proposed cuts “will put neighborhoods at risk, lengthen response times, and stand in the way of our ability to deal with real life-and-death emergencies,” said Jaymes Butler, vice president of Sacramento Area Fire Fighters Local 522.

The proposed budget cuts to the department could increase the number of alternating closures of fire equipment and staffers. The number of these proposed closures was unclear at press time because the City Council on Tuesday night may approve a $5.6 million federal grant for the department. The grant may lessen the Fire Department cuts. The money comes from the federal Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant Program.

The Sacramento Press will provide an overview of the Fire Department budget hearing Wednesday morning.

Read the budget schedule here.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Organization monitors government actions

2011-05-18T07:12:17Z

Eye on Sacramento, a nonprofit Sacramento-based government watchdog organization, has recently been launched in the city of Sacramento to maintain a watchful eye on the policies and actions of the city government.

“We formed EOS because we believe that too little attention is paid to the broad public interest and too much attention is paid to special interests,” said EOS President Craig Powell. “The public has little inside knowledge of what really goes on in city government. We hope to change that.”

“Eye on Sacramento was started by a core group of about nine people who were active in the Campaign for Common Sense Utilities Rates (the group that sponsored Measure B on the November 2010 ballot),” Powell said.

Powell currently serves as the vice president of the Sacramento County Taxpayers League and is the league’s point person on city government issues. He is also the president of the Land Park Volunteer Corps (which cares for William Land Park) and writes the monthly “City Hall” column for Inside the City magazine.

“Six more individuals have joined the effort over the past five or six months, so the 15 key participants now comprise the initial Board of Directors of EOS,” Powell said.

Powell said EOS was formed for two reasons: to “shine a very bright light” on the actions and policies of local government in Sacramento and to develop and promote local government policies that advance and protect the broad interests of the general public.

“The three functions that form the core of Eye on Sacramento’s work is the watchdog unit, our policy incubator and our community unit,” Powell said.

The watchdog unit is composed of about half a dozen people amongst whom are several board members and whose responsibilities entail monitoring the role of the city government.

Powell explained that the watchdog unit is responsible for attending all City Council meetings, monitoring the actions of all City Council members and being able to follow up with the council by asking questions during public comment.

“We are actively recruiting volunteers who wish to serve in our watchdog unit, either as regular monitors of government actions, investigators of particular issues or government actions, researchers and writers,” Powell said. “Volunteers expand our capacity to scrutinize local government.”

The policy incubator is the process in which the board will review current policy issues on a regular basis in order to make a final agreement on creating a new policy.

Once the board has created a policy that they all can agree on, a recommendation of the policy will be proposed to the City Council.

“Sacramento residents should have every opportunity to feel confident in their local government. I appreciate anyone who sees priority in the importance of maintaining integrity and transparency throughout government offices,” said City Councilwoman Angelique Ashby.

Powell added that EOS is now focusing on the cellphone tower and billboard policy and recommendations to the current budget crisis within the city.

“Outsourcing is an alternative budget solution to mass layoffs and public service-level cutbacks, which have been the primary budget-balancing tools of the local government in the past few years,” Powell said.

The implementation of presenting awareness to the public about the actions of local government will be done through the EOS community unit.

“The city not only welcomes but encourages public input and participation during the budget adoption process,” said city spokeswoman Amy Williams.

“We want to create a strong communication system between ourselves and neighborhoods,” Powell said.

These efforts will be performed through the EOS representatives, whose role is to watch over particular communities within the city of Sacramento and attend neighborhood meetings.

“By attending neighborhood association meetings, EOS representatives will be able to connect with members of the community and report back to the EOS board as to what the issues or concerns of the community are,” Powell said.

He added that EOS will assess public priorities by receiving feedback from local communities and periodically conducting polls within particular areas of Sacramento that question residents on their attitudes toward government.

“Right now, improving the local economy is critical and ensuring that we don’t make cutbacks in the city’s public services,” Powell said.

“(On May 12), City Council directed staff to explore ways of restoring community centers and staff is working at reviewing all feasible options,” said Williams.

EOS will use email alerts, newsletters and TV interviews to voice to the public the actions of local government as it pertains to the concerns of the residents of Sacramento.

“The government performs better when they’re being scrutinized than when they know that no one is looking, “Powell said.

The members of the Board of Directors of Eye on Sacramento include Craig K. Powell, Greg Hatfield, Lisa Garcia, Carl Burton, James Felton, Ray Garcia, Diane Schachterle, Erik Smitt, Arnold Duplantier Sr., Karen Klinger, Sarah Foster, Katy Grimes, Phil Nails, Dennis Kellogg and Adam Willoughby.

Next year, EOS plans to focus its attention on the city’s school, park and fire districts, as well as the cities of Elk Grove and Rancho Cordova.

Watch this week's Friday Night Concert in the Park here

2011-05-12T21:10:53Z

Join The Sacramento Press for Friday Night Concerts in the Park at Cesar Chavez Plaza.
Located between Ninth and 10th and I and J streets, this free, all-ages outdoor concert series will run every Friday until Aug. 12.

This week’s show runs from 5 - 9p.m. and will feature an evening of California country, Americana and roots music from headliner The Golden Cadillacs and supporting acts Miss Lonely Hearts and Kerri Carr. See a full schedule of this season’s line-up here.

In it’s 20th year, Friday Night Concerts in the Park remains the best way to start off our warm summer weekends and showcase Sacramento’s vibrant local music scene.

Friday Night Concerts in the Park attracts huge crowds of music lovers from all walks of life. Bring the whole family and enjoy an inexpensive summer evening full of fantastic live music, interesting vendors, and delicious food stands. The ever-popular beer garden provides some of the best people-watching of the summer season.

To add to the fun, the Downtown Sacramento Partnership has launched a new SCVNGR Trek for the Concerts in the Park. Download the SCVNGR app before you head out to the show so you can play the “Friday Night Concerts” trek. Complete the challenges to earn points all season long for a chance to win prizes each week.

Remember, street parking can be a challenge. Parking is available at the City Hall Garage (10th and I) for $5 after 5 p.m.

Stop by the Sacramento Press booth and pick up a free balloon for the kids, sign up for our weekly newsletter and weekly events local page Go.See.Do. You can even rent a blanket to sit on while you watch the bands. All blanket rental proceeds will be donated to charity.

If you can’t make the show,The Sacramento Press will also be live-streaming video of each band’s performance, which can be found in this article on the day of the show:

Free video chat by Ustream

Neighborhood Services could shrink to 5 staff

2011-05-11T00:57:10Z

The city’s Neighborhood Services Division is on the chopping block again this year after it lost its status as a department in last year’s budget cuts.

In June, the City Council is expected to make major cuts to close out the city’s $39 million budget gap for the 2011/2012 fiscal year.

The Neighborhood Services Division, which links neighborhoods to city issues and events and works with residents on local concerns, could lose two full-time employee positions to budget cuts. While two positions may seem like a low number, the division has only seven employees, according to Vincene Jones, Neighborhood Services manager.

In last year’s budget process, the Neighborhood Services Department became a division of the Parks and Recreation Department, two staffers were laid off and Jones’ title changed from department director to division manager. In recent years, Neighborhood Services’ staff has been cut from 16 employees to seven, Jones said.

Cuts to the division are recommended by Interim City Manager Bill Edgar and Interim Deputy City Manager Betty Masuoka.

“We support every neighborhood association that comes to us and doesn’t come to us,” Jones said. “We support every department, including mayor and council. It will be a decrease in our level of service, and that’s unfortunate.”

Jones declined to identify the employees who may be laid off. She said she thinks the position cuts will result in at least one layoff. Jones said she was unsure of how the second position cut will play out.

“It hurts, and it is the hard part,” Jones said, referring to the potential layoffs.

The city would save $140,556 by making cuts to the division, the text of the proposed budget states.

The cuts would scale back the division’s services “to the City Council, city departments and community organizations on a variety of projects, events, initiatives and collaborations,” according to the budget’s text.

Michael Moore, 52, a UC Davis Medical Center employee and member of the Boulevard Park Neighborhood Association, asked whether the division could be effective with a staff of five.

“As a recent graduate of the '11 City Management Academy sponsored by the Neighborhood Services Division, I'm extremely aware of the already-diminished services several years of increasing budget, and staffing cuts have caused citywide,” Moore said in an email Tuesday.

“Certainly the loss of two more (full-time positions) would only add to the reduced impact of this vital city department, and might bring into question whether the city can efficiently and pragmatically continue to provide the range of services Sacramentans have come to expect (if not demand) of our tax-supported municipal government. When does a department become so small as to be functionally useless?”

Read a list of the budget hearings here.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Guide to city budget hearings

2011-05-05T00:25:51Z

Sacramento city officials have scheduled 10 public meetings on the city budget over the next seven weeks.

The City Council is wrestling with a $39 million budget gap and is considering recommendations from the city manager’s office to lay off hundreds of municipal employees.

The public is welcome at the budget hearings, which will be led by the City Council.

“It’s important that the public’s voice is heard,” city spokeswoman Amy Williams said. “These are hard decisions that lie ahead.”

During the next few weeks, Williams said she aims to keep as much budget information as possible on the city’s website.

A link to city budget documents is on the front page of the website.

All of the budget meetings will be held at Sacramento City Hall at 915 I St. The budget schedule may change, Williams said. Citizens can check the city’s website for updated information throughout the budget process, she said.

Here is the list of hearings on the 2011/2012 fiscal year budget:

When: Thursday, May 12, 6 p.m.
On the agenda: Parks and Recreation Department, budget assumptions, planned budget cuts

When: Tuesday, May 17, 2 p.m.
On the agenda: Convention, Culture and Leisure Department; Community Development Department

When: Tuesday, May 17, 6 p.m.
On the agenda: Police Department

When: Tuesday, May 24, 2 p.m.
On the agenda: Economic Development, General Services, Support, Transportation, Utilities, Charter Offices (City Attorney, City Clerk, City Treasurer)

When: Tuesday, May 24, 6 p.m.
On the agenda: Fire Department

When: Tuesday, May 31, 6 p.m.
On the agenda: Library, agencies that partner with the city

When: Thursday, June 2, 6 p.m. (Tentative meeting)
On the agenda: Budget options

When: Tuesday, June 7, 6 p.m.
On the agenda: Facilities and infrastructure budget (known formally as the capital improvement program), discussion of budget cuts

When: Tuesday, June 14, 6 p.m.
On the agenda: Update on city labor unions, finish plans for budget cuts

When: Tuesday, June 21, 6 p.m.
On the agenda: The City Council will approve the budget.

Source: city of Sacramento

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

"Make a Movie" This Summer - Attend the "Cast & Crew Call" May 18 6-9 PM

2011-05-03T22:12:36Z

“Cast & Crew Call” from ACCESS SACRAMENTO
2011 “A Place Called Sacramento” Film Project
Wednesday May 18 from 6 – 9 PM
“Make a Movie This Summer” -- All Are Invited

For the Twelfth year, Access Sacramento launches “A Place Called Sacramento” (PCS), a scriptwriting and short film production project for local writers and producers. PCS challenges local scriptwriters to write ten-minute scripts about the people, places, and events that make our community such a unique place to live (details and past films on-line at www.AccessSacramento.org).

Script evaluation and judging have been completed. Dozens of scripts have been reviewed by local professionals and ten have been selected for production. Meet the ten scriptwriter/producers May 18 (Wednesday) at the “Cast & Crew Call”.

2011 “A Place Called Sacramento” Film Festival
Cast & Crew Call
May 18, 2011 - Wednesday
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Coloma Community Center Courtyard
4623 T Street
Sacramento, CA. 95819

All potential actors and production teams experienced and inexperienced are invited to attend. Ten production teams shall be formed and production continues on the films during the summer months. Finally, after weeks of hard work and great fun, friends gather at the CREST Theatre on Sunday October 2, 2011 for the World Premier of all ten films. The PCS production format is unique to Sacramento. In the previous eleven years, 109 films have been successfully created.

To view the films completed for the 2010 & previous PCS film festivals, go to the web site www.AccessSacramento.org. Access Sacramento is a nonprofit organization dedicated to using community media to build better communications between individuals and groups in Sacramento County.

CONTACT: Ron Cooper, Executive Director
4623 T Street, Suite A Sacramento, CA. 95819
(916) 456-8600 #112
Postmaster@AccessSacramento.org

Disclosure: Ron Cooper is the Executive Director for Access Sacramento.

Downtown businesses paint the town purple to support the Kings

2011-04-22T01:12:06Z

Downtown businesses are getting in on the underground social media campaign #HereWePurple. They’re supporting the Sacramento Kings while the NBA is in town through displays, specials, deals, freebies and more.

The social media campaign #HereWePurple has encouraged Sacramento to show support for the Kings by “painting the town purple” today while the NBA is in town meeting with local business leaders. The facebook event encourages residents to wear purple, sport a Kings jersey, put sign in your windows and cars, put up flags, wear your purple jewelry or whatever you've got all day long.

“We've been watching the campaign on Twitter and wanted to get our downtown businesses to encourage Sacramentans to get involved” said Lisa Martinez, DSP Director of Marketing and Outreach. "We've been overwhelmed by how many downtown businesses were willing to support the team and offer specials to residents to do the same.”

A number of downtown businesses have answered the call, most offering specials, deals or freebies. Additionally, many of businesses have created outward displays of support as well through lighting, uniforms, napkins, balloons; even logos and websites are turning purple.

Offers from downtown businesses include:

Mayahuel / Special: Purple Margaritas / Display: Purple balloons outside for support
Esquire Imax / Special: Free Popcorn to patrons in purple
Grange & The Citizen Hotel / Special: Kings Preservation Cocktail featuring local 209 gin, preserved grape jam, Dolin Blanc, and lemon / Display: Purple lighting in the windows
Ten22 / Special: Purple Reign Cocktail: Gin, cranberry juice, blue curacao, sweet & sour and lemon-lime soda / Display: logo with a purple border, and Ten22 Power Point presentation
3 Fires Lounge & The Residence Inn / Free scoop of purple ice cream for patrons in purple / Display: Employees dressed in Purple
Ella Dining Room & Bar / Happy Hour all day for patrons in purple – ½ price cocktails, $5 wines
Sheraton Grand Hotel/ Special: $1 Purple Sangria with Purchase of an Entrée / Display: Windows lit with purple lights, Purple napkins in Morgans Restaurant.
de Vere’s Irish Pub / Special: $4 “Kings Hooters” (purple hooter shooters) til close
The Melting Pot / Special: $5 “Kingsberry” Margaritas (Blackberry Margaritas)
Strings Express / Special: Free Cheesy Garlic Bread for patrons in purple
Chocolate Fish Coffee / Special: Free Slam Dunk Freespro (double shot of Espresso) to patrons in purple

In addition, the Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Downtown Sacramento Partnership have created window displays to support Sacramento’s team. The US Bank Building, Memorial Auditorium, Ziggurat Building will join the Sheraton and Citizen Hotel in displaying purple lighting on their buildings. To stay abreast of new downtown deals and updates for the "Here We Purple" campaign, follow Downtown Sacramento Partnership on Twitter: @DowntownSac.

Disclosure: Megan Emmerling is Marketing Manager for the Downtown Sacramento Partnership.

New Blue Thumb Blog Helps Residents Create Beautiful, Water-Efficient Landscapes

2011-04-18T17:55:52Z

We've all heard the term "Green Thumb" used to describe someone with a natural skill for gardening. Now there's a new resource for gardeners to help them develop a "Blue Thumb"--a talent for creating a beautiful, water-efficient landscape.

In the Blue Thumb blog, local landscape and irrigation experts Cheryl Buckwalter of Landscape Liaisons and Vicky Bartish of EcoLandscape California share their personal and professional insights on topics such as:

• Selecting and maintaining high-impact, low-fuss plants appropriate for the Sacramento region
• Reading your landscape and making practical design decisions
• Matching your irrigation to your soil and plant type

Cheryl and Vicky also answer vexing questions on landscaping and watering submitted by readers.

The Blue Thumb blog is hosted by the Regional Water Authority (RWA) in partnership with local water providers who are working to help residents use less water outdoors.

With the Sacramento region's hot, dry climate and long summer season, it's estimated that more than 65 percent of a household's yearly water consumption typically goes toward landscape irrigation. Of that, 30 percent is lost to overwatering or evaporation.

RWA estimates that Sacramento-area residents could collectively save almost 100 gallons of water per person per day during the irrigation season (April through October) by using water wisely and eliminating water waste outdoors. That’s enough water to meet the drinking water needs of more than 135,000 families for a year.

Join the conversation today at BeWaterSmart.info.

Disclosure: Christine Kohn is the public outreach coordinator for the Regional Water Authority.

Table Talk Sacramento brings together local food community

2011-04-15T05:46:50Z

The Sacramento Bee and The Sacramento Press teamed up Wednesday night to host Table Talk Sacramento inside the Sacramento Bee building at 2100 Q St. The two-panel discussion addressed the need for a variety of local food writers and various trends being seen within the food and dining communiy.

The first panel focused on the state of Sacramento food writing. Moderated by Chris Macias, the Bee's food and wine writer since 2008, the discussion featured local blogger Catherine Enfield of Munchie Musings, Niesha Lofing of The Sacramento Bee and Micah Rousey a member of the Yelp Elite Squad for his bulk of restaraunt reviews on Yelp.

“The purpose of this is to get people into a room, get people talking,” Macias said in his opening comments.

He then opened the panel discussion with a question about the purpose of food writing and what types of stories the food panelists find the most valuable.

“What I enjoy most about food writing are the stories that draw you in, that tell a fantastic tale that you can relate to,” Lofing responded.

The panel went on to address the need in the community for food writers, reviewers and bloggers. Macias made the point that everyone has to eat and that focus has to be put on different audiences and demographics.

“I would like to think I'm writing from an average, everyday person’s perspective,” Enfield said about her blog. She added that bloggers should use their blogs to promote local community involvement, like the SactoMoFo Festival on April 30.

SactoMoFo, which stands for Sacramento Mobile Food Festival, is being organized by Enfield and others to promote reasonable city ordinances for food trucks.

The panel closed with a discussion of coming trends. Lofing noted how sustainability, far from being just a trend, is becoming more practical and there are more people eating within a local radius.

“My impression is that Sacramento has always been a farm to table sort of town,” Macias added.

The second panel focused on food and dining trends. It featured Ella Dining Room and Bar Executive Chef Kelly McCown, Preferred Meats, Inc. corporate chef John Paul Khoury, Corti Bros. Market store director Rick Mindermann and was moderated by Allen Pierleoni, a senior writer at the Bee.

Mindermann addressed the issue of trends in the market being cyclical.

Khoury said that the trend is definitely toward more sustainable food and dining but also that the industry continues to change and expand toward more relationship-based production and consumption. By this, he meant creating a connection with the farmer and the animal.

“The change I see is that I bring something into Sacramento now that wouldn't have sold 10 years ago,” he said. One example he gave was humanely grown and sustainable beef.

This change, he said, more specifically is creating a link from farmer to distributor to restaurant. As distributor, he works directly with the farmer and can then pass on the origin of the product to the restaurant. It creates a trust, he said, and that trust helps create a new experience where people might venture out and try different foods.

McCown said he has noticed a large trend in the market with cocktails. He has noticed a swing toward unique, hand-crafted drinks. Just like food, he said, they are created with a full chef-like experience of presentation.

Most of the panel participants largely discussed the complex network it takes for food, and more specifically meats, to get to the restaurant.

But trust, they all agreed, has to be maintained.

There was a wide variety of attendees. Some operated local blogs on food, recipes and dining, while others were just interested in the topic.

Sacramento locals Abby Fox and Heather Kirkpatrick came to the panel together. They came because they read local food blogs and have also attended other food festivals and events.

“The whole scene is just fascinating from a consumer’s point of view,” Kirkpatrick said.

Fox said she lived near an Almond Orchard in Modesto at one point in her life, and this developed an understanding and interest in agriculture.

“More and more, it’s important to me to know where my food is coming from,” she said.

Also in attendance was Kimberly Morales, author of local food blog Poor Girl Eats Well. She said she came because she likes to see what other members of the local food community are talking about.

Morales said she likes to support those who provide insight into what bloggers have to offer the local community.

“I liked the diversity of panelists they chose,” she added.

Morales added that the second panel’s discussion of trust and quality were very similar to her own delivery of recipes and the relationship she hopes to have with her readership.

After all of the talk about food, attendees were treated to a seafood and chorizo paella from Source Global Tapas, which was prepared and cooked on site.

UC Davis Professor to give 'Social Media & Social Uprising' lecture at The California Museum

2011-04-15T05:17:03Z

In the past several years, social media has played an ever growing role in calling for, organizing, and executing social uprisings and upheaval around the globe. Increasingly, these uprisings are bringing about significant social change in not only their country of origin but amongst those involved via social media channels. In contrast, some countries are dealing with unrest and the threat of uprisings by locking down Internet access and jailing citizens for sharing certain information online.

The Social Media Club of Sacramento (SMCSac) makes a monthly habit of examining the various ways social media is impacting our everyday interactions, culture, and society at large. The club has partnered with the California Museum to explore the fascinating topic of the role of Twitter, Facebook, Google, and other social media channels in bringing about global social change. Their upcoming event, Social Media and Social Uprising, will be held Tuesday, April 19th at the California Museum on 10th & O streets. Featuring keynote speaker Professor Anupam Chander, a leading scholar in the law of globalization and digitization at the UC Davis School of Law, SMCSac will explore how social media paves the way for citizens to shift from 'friends' to revolutionaries.

In his keynote address, Professor Chander plans to touch on topics that range from the role social media plays in unfree societies, to the corporate social responsibility of companies like Google and Facebook. After the talk, the discussion will be opened to the audience for a Q&A with Professor Chander. Audience members can discuss these topics further, or explore how these insights can be applied to their lives, community, and understanding of global social issues.

The museum gallery will open at 5:30pm, and the evening will commence at 6pm with a wine and appetizer reception hosted by Grace Patriot Wines and the new downtown restaurant Blue Prynt. Professor Chander will begin his keynote address around 7pm, with discussion and networking to follow.

Advance tickets are recommended and can be purchased online. If available, tickets may also be purchased at the door on Tuesday. For more information on the Social Media and Social Uprising event, Professor Anupam Chander, the California Museum, or SMCSac, visit the event website or call (916) 653-7524.

Disclosure: Megan Emmerling is a member of the Social Media Club, Sacramento

After Italy tour, Secretions host "Suck-Fest"

2011-04-13T22:50:04Z

From a press release issued by the band:

Sacramento stalwart punks The Secretions are celebrating their 20th anniversary as a band by hitting the road for northern Italy on an eight day tour, from April 15 to 22. The tour wraps up with a show featuring CJ Ramone's new band with Daniel Rey on guitar, and Italy’s own legends The Manges.

For the stateside celebration in Sacramento, CA, The Secretions have planned a three-night festival show for Memorial Day Weekend dubbed "Suck-Fes t", a nod to the band’s motto “We Secrete, You Suck.” The Suck-Fest will be held at Citrus Heights bar The Fire Escape, and the Saturday and Sunday shows of the weekend will be all-ages. The Secretions will share the stage with some of Sacramento and the Bay Area’s best local punk acts at the event, with a special rare performance by The Mr. T Experience kicking off the first night.

Since their inception in 1991, the Secretions have put out 5 studio albums, one split CD, and 5 7’’ records. Their most recent CD was 2009’s Greasyhotmeatcheezy.

Zipcar attracts car-sharing fans

2011-04-08T01:26:35Z

Mary Beth Schwehr was already well-informed about car sharing when she stopped by the Zipcar tent at Cesar Chavez Plaza on Thursday.

Zipcar, a company that provides cars for people to use for short periods of time, has been operating in Sacramento for a little over a week. Company representatives were in Sacramento on Thursday to sign up customers.

Schwehr, a Sacramento County resident, said she has an older car but uses public transit to commute to work.

“I’ve been anxious for this to come to Sacramento for a long time,” Schwehr said. “Rather than having to drive my car on a day when I have some other errands that I have to do where transit doesn’t go, I’ll use the Zipcar at lunchtime and after work ... to do some errands.”

Rachel DuBose, an air quality planner for the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality District, also checked out Zipcar’s tent Thursday.

“At the air district, we really believe in getting our employees to walk and bike and ride share,” she said.

A one-year membership fee to use Zipcars in Sacramento is $50. The application fee is $25.

From Monday through Friday, the charge to use a Zipcar is $8 per hour or $66 per day, according to Dan Grossman, the company’s regional vice president. On Saturdays and Sundays, the cost is $9 per hour or $72 per day. The hourly and daily fees are on top of the membership fee.

The membership fee includes the car insurance, Grossman said. Customers pay for gas by using a charge card provided by Zipcar.

Zipcar, which formed in 2000, operates in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. The company has 530,000 members and 8,000 cars.

Grossman said he couldn’t comment on the number of Zipcar customers who have signed up in Sacramento.

Zipcar representatives parked a Honda Insight car at Cesar Chavez Plaza to demonstrate to prospective customers how the car works.

To use a Zipcar, a member makes a reservation online or by phone. Grossman held a card over a built-in modem attached to the window of the Honda. The card unlocks the door, he said, and the customer can find the ignition key inside. The cards to unlock the Zipcars are given to members, according to Grossman.

City Councilman Steve Cohn joined the small group of people at the Zipcar tent, saying that he and the Sacramento Air Quality Management District had both advocated for a car-sharing program in Sacramento.

“What this does is it enables people that have that occasional need (to drive) not to have to invest in a very expensive car, insurance (and) all the upkeep,” he said.

Cohn said the city is now contracting with Zipcar in an effort to save costs on the city’s vehicle fleet. The city wants to scale down the number of vehicles it owns and maintains, he said. To save money on city fleet expenses, the city agreed to use Zipcar services, Cohn added.

The city also gave Zipcar the use of 10 city parking spaces, he said.

Read the list of downtown locations where Zipcars will be available.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

PHOTO ESSAY: River Cats Media Day 2011

2011-04-07T23:28:47Z

It’s that time again!

Spring is in the air and the tri-tip is cookin’ at Raley Field.

The Sacramento River Cats kick off their 2011 season Thursday at home against the Tacoma Rainiers at 7:05pm and SacramentoPress.com has you covered.

This season, the Press will have some of our most enthusiastic writers and photographers covering the action. Writers include Lindol French, Mark Needham and a few interns. Working the cameras for some great action shots will be Steven Chea, Ron Nabity and some of the other great shot-takers on our roster.

For the Cats, a new manager and several new faces fill out the roster. They hit the field with renewed vigor in pursuit of another Pacific Coast League championship.

Here are a few of the River Cats thoughts during Media Day:

Cats Manager Darren Bush on what he's looking for out of his team - “I want them to have success, individually and as a team, that’s my expectations. They will have the best opportunities for success if they play the game hard.”

Infielder Eric Sogard on his time with the big club last year - “It was a blast getting up there (Oakland) and getting my feet wet. Unbelievable experience getting my first hit in my first game. Even though we were on the road, the crowd really appreciated that and gave me a nice ovation.”

Outfielder Jai Miller on his background - “I’m from Montgomery, Alabama. My mom went to Auburn and my dad played football at Auburn so growing up I was a big Auburn fan. I like the Atlanta Braves but my favorite player was Ken Griffey Jr.”

Outfielder Chris Carter on taking on the missing piece to his personal puzzle - “Working in the outfield since it’s new for me. I just want to get as good as I can out there and just be ready when they call me back up (to Oakland).”

Outfielder Matt Carson on what it will take for him to stick with Oakland - “I don’t really feel like it is something I can change. It’s a situational thing. You just have to wait for your opportunity and be ready when you get that opportunity. I think that’s the key - just stay consistent.”

The River Cats will be at home to begin the season. The Tacoma Rainiers are in town starting tonight through Sunday and then the Las Vegas 51’s play at Raley Field from April 11-14.

Get your tickets now by calling 916.371.HITS (4487) or going to Rivercats.com for more information.

Green waste on-the-street pickup rates could rise

2011-04-07T00:45:48Z

Loose-in-the-street green waste pickup may become more expensive for residents, according to comments made by City Council members Tuesday night.

During a discussion of green waste at Tuesday’s council meeting, the council asked city staff to prepare detailed plans for raising the rates on loose-in-the-street pickup and reducing the level of pickup service from weekly to biweekly. Council members did not make any final decisions on the issue.

Gerald Celestine, a founding member of Friends of Fremont Park, said Wednesday that he thinks loose-in-the-street pickup works better than container pickup for Central City residents.

“We have more trees,” he said. “We have much more green waste.”

The idea of using multiple containers also doesn’t work, he said, because there is not adequate room in the street to place the containers. “Where would people park?” he asked.

The Central City’s situation may be addressed by city staff in the future: The City Council asked staff to provide more information about ways to deal with geographic areas that are particularly leafy.

The city’s systems of green waste pickup – containers and loose-in-the-street – are linked to a 1977 law. Voters passed Measure A that year, which says City Hall cannot force residents to use green waste containers.

While the city says that only 12,121 properties now use loose-in-the-street pickup, it must offer loose-in-the-street pickup because of Measure A.

By contrast, 103,787 properties in the city are using containers now, according to the Utilities Department.

The rate cannot remain at $13.71 per month because there are so few people now sharing the cost burden, according to city staff.

City staff argue that keeping the rates at $13.71 breaks state law Proposition 218, which says utilities rates must correspond to the costs of providing utilities services.

The rates should be higher, according to city staff, because so few people are still using loose-in-the-street pickup that their service is being subsidized by other solid waste rates.

Councilman Kevin McCarty noted Tuesday that city staff would work with the city’s Utilities Rate Advisory Commission on plans to raise rates for loose-in-the-street pickup.

Utilities Department staff has suggested raising rates for weekly loose-in-the-street pickup from $13.71 to $40 per month to match the costs of the service.

Alternately, staff suggested that the City Council could raise rates from $13.71 to $25, but scale down the service from weekly to every other week to align with the cost of service.

Staff also pointed out that the city still provides eight loose-in-the-street pickups each year to customers who use containers.

While council members said they want to explore the ideas of raising rates for pickup, McCarty and Cohn expressed hesitancy about the dollar amounts that staff proposed and noted that they weren’t agreeing to those amounts Tuesday night.

“Let’s not be on the record saying we approve either one,” Cohn said.

Council members also said they want to ask the public to vote in 2012 on whether to repeal Measure A.

“I’d like to go to the voters as soon as possible to take a look at repealing Measure A from 1977,” McCarty said Wednesday. “Clearly, times have changed, and I think we ought to look at reversing course on this 35-year-old policy.”

McCarty said there are a number of benefits to containers, including improved air quality resulting from fewer trucks picking up leaves and cleaner bike lanes.

Utilities Department spokeswoman Jessica Hess said the department has not yet set a date for when the green waste issue will be addressed at City Council again.

“We have a desire to correct the issue,” Hess said. “We are going to work on getting that expedited.”

Read the staff report here.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Bakery blog hosts fundraiser for Japan

2011-04-06T02:04:55Z

Sacramento food blog Munchie Musings held an online auction on Friday and Saturday to raise donations for the nonprofit ShelterBox, which will send aid and supplies to tsunami and earthquake- devastated Japan.

The bake sale was organized as an auction by Catherine Enfield, the writer behind Munchie Musings (link) blog. The idea was one she had seen before.

“Last year, I saw similar bake sales for Haiti,” she said, “but I wanted mine to be Sacramento area-oriented.”

Enfield said there were more than 52 items donated to the online auction, such as a dozen cupcakes from Angelina Ray Cupcakes, dinner for 10 from Chipotle and a dim sum brunch for five from Red Lotus Kitchen and Bar.

The auction took place on the Facebook page of Munchie Musings, more specifically in the photo album section. Pictures were taken of each baked item or gift certificate, and then people would post their bids in the comment section until midnight on Saturday, when the auction closed.

According to the Munchie Musings blog, $3,741 was raised, and Enfield said more than $3,600 has come in so far. The auction payments come in through PayPal and then are sent to the nonprofit, Shelter Box.

Shelter Box is an international organization that delivers disaster relief supplies and housing to those affected by disasters worldwide. It provides one large green box to a family, the “Shelterbox,” which is tailored towards each natural disaster but generally features a tent, a stove, blankets and other items a family may need to survive.

Enfield read about Shelter Box on a verified list of charities helping with the effort in Japan. She wanted to give money to a smaller organization that may not be as well known because she said it might need it more than some of the larger groups like the Red Cross.

“With over a million people homeless right now, it is a worthwhile charity to give people shelters to live in,” she said.

Ginger Elizabeth of Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates donated a small hat box of chocolates and also a dozen macarons from her shop.

“It's something horrible that has happened over there, and we wanted to give some support,” she said.

Elizabeth said that she also donated monetarily to charities as well as to other bake sales.

Kristy De Vaney, from the Cakegrrrl blog, donated ginger and lemongrass cupcakes. It is a recipe that can't be found anywhere in Sacramento, she said.

“What happened in Japan is out of my world,” De Vaney said, “Nothing that drastic has happened to me in life. My little cupcakes may seem like only a drop in the water, but when someone like Catherine comes along, we can build a little army to make some change.”

Midtown gets new boutique

2011-04-01T06:51:21Z

With the hope of bringing something new to Sacramento fashion, Legacy Boutique at 2418 K St., will be having its grand opening Friday night to showcase its collection of new and vintage clothing.

“I want to have fun with fashion,” said 25-year-old Legacy Boutique owner Debbie Milanova.

But with that fun comes the challenge of providing a new business and a platform for high fashion.

Milanova said there will be a long list of unique clothing lines, many of which are rare and exclusive. Some so exclusive, there may be only one piece in the store.

Creep is one such brand. Originally from Japan, it is designed by Hiroshi Awai which makes it difficult to find in the United States.

Milanova said she hopes to be a catalyst for high fashion coming to Sacramento by bringing clothing lines that are more often found in larger cities like Las Vegas, New York and Los Angeles.

The idea for Legacy Boutique had been in the brainstorming process for as long as she has been working in the boutique industry.

In those seven years, the process began by keeping notes, gathering information, and eventually compiling a rough sketch of a business plan. Most of that time was spent working for Krazy Mary's, another boutique in Midtown.

Then in May of last year, Milanova left Krazy Mary's to develop more education on the business side at Sacramento City College. This is where everything came together.

“It was good timing for me,” she said. “Everything just fell into place.”

“It is going to be a challenge,” she said, “but I love fashion so much, I just want to go places where other stores don't.”

The grand opening will go from 4 - 9 p.m. for anyone to browse through the store and meet Milanova. There will be an after party at The Golden Bear at 2326 K Street beginning at 10 p.m. with DJ Crook One.

Chuggernauts win Xoso's Dodgeball Championship!

2011-03-29T00:13:26Z

Sacramento, CA - Last Thursday was the Xoso Sport & Social League's largest playoff race yet, with two leagues (A/B) and 12 teams total gunning for the title. The matches didn't disappoint!

In the dodgeball "B" League, the 4th seeded Chuggernauts faced 5th seed "Ball Thugs & Harmony" in the first round. Not expecting to go deep into the playoffs, it seems even they were surprised to pull out the win, 5-4. The other first round game was between the 3rd seeded Caltronics team and the 6th seeded "Try Catching Our Balls". Again, this game was a nail biter, and Caltronics won, 5-4.

In the 2nd round of games, Chuggernauts faced an even bigger test, the #1 seed, "Ball & Oates", who rolled through the regular season to a 7-1 record. In the playoffs, they were no match for the mighty Chuggernauts! Chuggernauts won, 6-2. Caltronics ran up against the #2 seed, "Off in the Shower", and unfortunately for them, they did not beat "Off in the Shower". They lost 8-2.

The "B" League championship was set, with the Chuggernauts taking on "Off in the Shower". Could Chuggernaut Tracy Fox win her first championship on her birthday? Would they be able to overcome their seed, and shake the ache out of their arms? Yes! They beat "Off in the Shower" 7-2 to win their first ever dodgeball title!

[img_assist|nid=7935|title=D3, "A" League Dodgeball Champs: Winter 2011|desc=|link=none|align=right|width=300|height=225]In the "A" dodgeball league, there were another six teams vying for a championship. "Team America", the #4 seed and perennial title contender, had to face "Hit Harder, Drink Harder" in the first round, and came away with the win, 6-3. The #3 seed, Hammer Time, matched up with the #6 team, "Shocker and Awe" who played most of the match shorthanded. "Shocker and Awe" put up a great fight, and it came down to the wire, with "Hammer Time" pulling it out for an 8-6 win.

The 2nd round proved to be an epic battle between "Team America" and "Team AP". These two teams are actually led by captains who live together. Can you imagine the bragging rights on the line? The #1 seeded "Team AP", also defending champions, had steamrolled through the regular season to an undefeated record and you'd be hard pressed to find someone who wouldn't have picked their team to win it all again. This time, they didn't even make the title match; they lost to "Team America in a close one, 4-3.

"D3:The Mighty Drunks" also faced a tough matchup against long time dodgeballers, "Hammer Time". In the end, they prevailed 3-2 to face off with "Team America".

In the final match, each game went back and forth. The 2nd game of the match featured an Ollie Shot from both teams, changing the tide and bringing in teammates who had been knocked out. The match was tied 2-2 as they headed into the final game. D3 appeared to be in control, and had 7 players on the court against the final player for Team America. Team America couldn't get an Ollie Shot to fall, and D3 wound up winning the game for a 3-2 win, securing the "A" League dodgeball championship.

Social Media Club's Sacramento chapter hosts "Blogging for Business" workshop

2011-03-28T23:20:30Z

So, your business has a website. Then you heard that blogs are the thing that every website needs to helps your business connect with customers. So, now your website has a blog... and you have no idea what to do with it. Enter Jennifer Bourn, owner of Bourn Creative and the guest speaker at the Social Media Club, Sacramento (SMCS) workshop, "Blogging for Business". The workshop, held at Drexel University in Downtown Sacramento on March 24th, aimed to help small business owners and other business bloggers ensure the rewards reaped through their blog is worthy of the time spent.

There is no question that blogging, whether for business or pleasure, requires a significant investment of time to be done right. Time alone however, does not a successful blog make. How do you know which platform to use? What are plugins and why are there so many of them? How can you tell which tools are adding to your blog and which are detracting... or worse, distracting your customers from making purchases or connecting with your message? And once you get your blog all set up, what do you write about?

In an intensive 90 minute workshop Bourn spelled out the how-tos, recommendations, and best practices to make a business blog successful. She began by clarifying the goal of business blogs, because many business owners launch blogs without being clear on what they're using the blog to accomplish. The goals of any business blog should be to posisition your company and brand, communicate with your customers, educate your market and showcase your expertise in your field, and to make a personal connection with your readers.

"People don't want to connect with a cold brand," explained Bourn, "they want to connect with the people at the company."

Its the humanity shown through your posts that encourage readers to return or subscribe to your blog. Finding ways to make your posts personal, memorable, and emotional will allow customers and readers to not only connect with your brand, but with you as a blogger. When you connect to customers on a personal, human level trust and loyalty can be gained.

In addition to compelling, personalized content, Bourn stressed the importance of paying attention to the design elements of your blog. "Look at your sidebar [and think], 'How does this bring value to my users?'" Bourn points out that a date based archive system in the sidebar, while often used, is practically useless to your readers, "What does this tell them other than you posted content at some point that month? Delete it."

Other items to remove from your sidebar? Any links that may distract your potential customer from spending money on your site, or lead them away from your blog, including Twitter or Facebook scolls, avatars, and boxes. Bourn points out that we spend so much energy on our social media sites trying to get people to our blog for more content and the chance to convert to a sale. Why, once they get there, would we try to send them away from your focused content back to the world of social media?

These tips were just a tip of the iceberg of expertise shared during the interactive workshop. Attendees were encouraged to bring their laptops to follow along and live tweet the event. The 50 person event, which included food provided by Paesano's, was open to members of the SMCS and the general public. SMCS simply requested a $10 donation to help the club continue to organize events and workshops about various social meda topics.

For more tips on blogging and business, visit the Bourn Creative blog on their website. For more information about upcoming Social Media Club, Sacramento events, follow @SMCSac on Twitter.

Disclosure: Megan Emmerling is a member of the Social Media Club, Sacramento.

SMAC holds arts funding symposium

2011-03-24T00:30:13Z

Representatives from over 80 arts organizations received tips on obtaining funding at an arts funding symposium hosted by the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission (SMAC) Tuesday moning at the KVIE banquet room with a speech by Congresswoman Doris Matsui.

The free event titled “Where's the Money?” was a day full of speakers, panels and workshops with teachers, artists, grant writers and various other active participants for the arts in Sacramento in attendance.

KVIE General Manager David Lowe opened the event by talking about the Public Broadcasting Station to note that KVIE also largely relies on funding from public grants, private grants, and donations like the attendees in the room.

“Keep fighting for every bit of funding,” he said, “not only so you can survive, but also so you can thrive.”

Matsui, who represents California's District 5, addressed the crowd in her speech, applauding them when she said, “ your commitment to the arts is wonderful and timely.”

Matsui said she came to support SMAC because she wants this type information available. She went on to defend the arts, saying they are needed for cultural development.

“Arts are important for the vitality of a community,” she said. “Arts are the DNA of a community.”

Matsui also addressed Sacramento more specifically when she noted that the Sacramento arts community is unique because there are so many organizations that work together, whether they are ballets, symphonies or otherwise.

The opening workshop was given by Mike Griffin, the congressional liaison for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

“National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to advancing artistic excellence, creativity and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities,” he said.

NEA, Griffin said, distributes about 40 percent of its federal funds among partnerships like SMAC and other nonprofits working to promote the arts in the community. He was there to discuss the options for funding arts programs at the federal, state and local levels, and how to apply.

Along with the NEA, Kay Sprinkel Grace, author of “The Boundaries of Risk: Daring to Dream in the Arts,” spoke on how to find funding, and later there was a private local funders panel facilitated by Sprinkel Grace.

“Everyone is here for one reason – they are looking for money,” Said SMAC Executive Director Rhyena Halpern. “There's a real hunger for it.”

SMAC hoped the symposium would provide an opportunity and concrete resources for private and public funding, she said.

One attendee, Nixa Schell, came on behalf of the Sacramento City Unified School District, where she is director of the fine arts programs. She came because of the decline in arts-based programs in schools and simply because “there is no money.”

“Everything has to be funded through grants right now,” she said.

Despite the lack of funds, there are programs being developed to integrate art and music into the classroom. One program titled “Any Given Child” has teachers work with artists and musicians in the community to develop lesson plans to infuse art and education.

Through this whole process of developing programs and finding funding, Schell said she hopes it will encourage students and teachers to be less intimidated by the arts and to be able to use them.

The program closed with its last run at the exchange of information with speed dating for arts funding. Artists and art organizations met face-to-face with funders and nonprofits like SMAC and For Art’s Sake.

“The purpose is to inspire,” Halpern said. “It's a really hard time right now.”

Kings fall to Sixers' by 22 points

2011-03-21T06:06:26Z

In a slack game of basketball at Power Balance Pavilion, the Sacramento Kings lost to the Philadelphia 76ers Friday night, falling behind from the very to beginning to lose 80-102.

Within minutes of the opening toss-up it was obvious the Kings couldn't hit their stride as they moved the ball around with sloppy passes. It didn't take long for head coach Pete Westphal to call a timeout and break the Sixers’ small lead of 12-9. From that moment on, the Sixers were ahead the entire game.

Though the Kings weren't that far behind at the end of the first quarter, the Sixers pulled even farther ahead fairly swiftly and kept it that way.

The Kings had their moments in the second quarter. At times they showed some momentum with center DeMarcus Cousins and guard Beno Udrih stepping up to collect nearly 10 points each by the end of the second half.

At one point in the second half, the Sixers lead had grown to 28 points. Midway through the third quarter, the stands even booed the Kings after a series of missed breakaways.

Cousins was a stand out as he racked up 19 points to become the highest scorer from either team.

The Sixers matched every basket the Kings made in the fourth quarter to win by 22 points. Sacramento also committed 22 turnovers.

Power Balance Pavilion was fairly full with attendance being 15,373 fans. But despite the dance team, the mid-game antics of Slamson and hosts, there wasn't much energy to go home with. It wasn't necessarily a sad sight, just disappointing to see the Kings get beat so easily.

Francis House features Victoria Vox in benefit concert at The Guild Theatre

2011-03-21T05:50:01Z

Francis House held a benefit concert from 7 - 10 p.m. Friday night at The Guild Theatre. The concert featured Victoria Vox and The Boulder Acoustic Society.

The concert was held in memory of Greg Bunker, former executive director of Francis House, who passed away unexpectedly days after Christmas last year. About 100 people attended.

The music was an old-fashioned folksy blend of eclectic sound. The Boulder Acoustic Society opened with keyboards, drums, upright bass and banjo. The keyboardist switched to accordion and the drummer to a marching band bass drum.

Victoria Vox, 32, lives in Baltimore, Md. She sings and plays ukulele. She said she finally quit her day job in 2003 to tour and perform full time.

She attended the public memorial service for Bunker in January, held in the Westminster Presbyterian Church, which was full to capacity. Forest Reed invited her to make a stop in Sacramento for the benefit concert.

“It was amazing being at the memorial and seeing how many people were there,” she said. “It was packed,” Vox said. “It was really moving to be there, and I know that Francis House does a lot of great things for people,” she said.

“I can only imagine how many people they’ve helped.” Vox said. “I’m honored more than anything to be invited to perform.”

Francis House is a counseling and resource center for poor and low-income families in the Sacramento area. Forest Reed is the new executive director of Francis House.

“Francis House is a cornerstone agency in the social service fabric in Sacramento,” Reed said. ”We touch 30,000 people every year on a first-come, first-serve basis.”

Reed explained about the important services Francis House offers.

“Without identification, you’re stymied and roadblocked,” Reed said. “We put people in motion to get out and handle those things. We provide support for getting California IDs, driver licences and birth certificate,” Reed said. “We’re a connection, a conduit to the rest of the agencies in Sacramento.”

“So many new people have dropped into poverty and homelessness in Sacramento over the last three years,” Reed said. “We help people move forward and get back on track. We ignite change for people.”

Bunker spent his last 21 years as director of Francis House. Reed had only praise for Bunker.

“He was accepting on a very human level,” he said. “He always sought to find how he could help. He loved everybody and didn’t judge people and accepted people as they were. He had a tremendous amount of kindness,” Reed said. “It’s a great loss for us because he was a mentor, a leader, a great friend and a funny guy at the same time.”

Jury: Weisz not guilty in Pops' death

2011-03-18T21:39:50Z

A Sacramento County Superior Court jury decided Friday that Michael Bruce Weisz of Sacramento is not guilty of second degree murder or voluntary manslaughter in the death of local security guard Leroy “Pops” Fisher.

Instead, the jury decided that Weisz was guilty of felony hit-and-run in the 2009 death.

Weisz is expected to appear in court April 15 for sentencing. Judge Maryanne Gilliard ordered that Weisz be kept in jail until the sentencing, citing Weisz’ separate driving-under-the-influence charges.

Weisz was arrested on driving-under-the-influence charges Dec. 8, 2010 when he was out on bail for the Fisher case, according to court records. A decision has not been made at this point on the drunk driving charges.

At court on Friday, Weisz’ family and other supporters repeatedly hugged each other.

“We’re very happy for Michael,” Weisz’s aunt, Donna Solden, said after the jury made its decision. “Our faith in God and love for each other has gotten us through.”

She said Weisz’s family is sorry for Fisher and sends prayers to Fisher’s family.

A woman who said she was Fisher’s widow declined to comment on the jury’s verdict.

On Sept. 23, 2009, Weisz and a friend were ordered by Fisher and a second security guard to leave Badlands, a Midtown nightclub, for inappropriate behavior. Sacramento Police Department spokesman Sgt. Norm Leong said at the time. The Police Department also said at the time that it believed Weisz ran over Fisher in his car.

Sacramento County Deputy District Attorney Sheri Greco had argued that Weisz intentionally ran over Fisher and fled the scene. Weisz’s attorney, Donald Masuda, had argued Weisz did not intend to run over Fisher. Masuda claimed that Weisz’s mental state was impaired after Fisher Tased him with a stun pen.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Staff reporter Suzanne Hurt contributed to this report.

Schnirer holds neighborhood conversation

2011-03-18T01:00:56Z

Residents of District 5 phoned in for the monthly “Neighborhood Conversations” conference call Wednesday night to discuss their issues, concerns, and questions with City Councilman Jay Schenirer.

One of the first discussions of the call centered around the crime and vandalism issues Oak Park faces. One resident from the area was the main speaker for this topic, he asked whether it was getting worse or improving and what the neighbors could do about it.

Schenirer commented that crime has gone down throughout the city and that it was mainly gang rivalries between Oak Park gangs and those in the surrounding areas.

In relation to gangs, he said the city is using strategies to rehabilitate gang members, by “putting them in full-time jobs and other social programs.”

Schenirer also said the city is working on developing different intervention strategies, such as a pilot program called “hot spot policing.”

“The program consists of GPSing where many crimes are being committed,” he said. Patrol cars then station themselves near those hot spot regions, to help act as both a deterrence and offer a quicker reaction to the scene of the crime.

Another caller, Kitty Wilson, mainly addressed traffic concerns she experienced near 26th and 27th street where it intersects with Broadway.

“The whole of 26th needs to be looked at ,” Wilson said. Mainly, she noted, there are problems during the times of 4:30 to 7 p.m. when many travelers are leaving work, getting on and off the freeway at the interchange. She said she thought there needed to be more signals in that area.

Schenirer said, “We can ask the traffic division to go and check it out.”

Healthy eating and healthy development of Oak Park were also brought up on the call.

Chris Johnson, a member of the group Healthy Development of Oak Park, said a McDonald's is being planned to be constructed at the corner of Stockton Blvd. and 2nd Ave.

Johnson said his group is reluctant to support the idea of a fast food restaurant in their neighborhood.

Schenirer explained how the process will work and how the proposal must goes through a planning committee. He told the listeners he couldn't comment directly on the McDonald's issue but that he was “very supportive of healthy eating habits.”

“I would love to to see better and more community development and neighborhood supportive businesses,” he said.

Some other concerns had to do with water usage and city bureaucracy. At the end, most listeners said they liked Schenirer hosting community conversations. They said it seemed like a civil, honest and open way to communicate directly with the district’s residents.

“It's a little easier than knocking on doors,” Schenirer added.

“Neighborhood Conversations” occur every third Wednesday of the month, lasting from 7 - 7:30 p.m.

For those interested in a face-to-face conversation, City Councilman Jay Schenirer will be having community office hours on Wednesday March 30 at the Big Spoon which is located at 4001 Freeport Blvd. from 5 - 7 p.m.

A reveler's guide to the de Vere's St. Patricks Day Party in the Park

2011-03-16T19:00:30Z

The weather forecast for Thursday is clear and sunny and Sacramento is counting down the hours to this year's biggest St. Patrick’s Day party.

The de Vere’s Party in the Park kicks off at 10 a.m. on Thursday March 17th at Cesar Chavez Plaza in Downtown Sacramento for 12 hours of St. Patrick’s Day festivities, music, pipes, dancers, food, and drinks. 9th street between I and J streets will be closed to traffic beginning at 5 am to make room for all of the St. Patrick's Day festivities happening in the park. The street will reopen to traffic after midnight.

Advance ticket sales for the Party in the Park available at deveresderules.com end at 11:30 a.m. on March 16, but tickets are available for purchase at the door on Thursday. Party proceeds will benefit Maryhouse, a daytime women and children’s homeless shelter at Loaves and Fishes. You can also purchase raffle tickets to win a trip for two to Ireland for $1 either online via the "Tickets" link at deveresderules.com or on site during the Party in the Park.

Good Eats
Stop by the Party in the Park during your lunch to purchase your ticket to the event and pick up some good eats. Downtown restaurants including de Vere’s Irish Pub, Grange, Café Soliel, Tuli Bistro, and Shady Lady will be serving up great food with menus ranging from pizza, pulled pork sliders, corned beef, and beer brats. Ins and outs are allowed up until 2:00pm, allowing downtown workers the opportunity to take a long lunch at the park, have some wonderful food, and catch Nine 8ths Irish at 11:30am, and Irish Dancers at 1:30pm. Just make sure you leave the park before 2:00pm if you want to gain re-entry later in the afternoon or after work!

Live Entertainment
Live entertainment will rock the park throughout the day featuring traditional Irish entertainment from the Kennelly School Irish Dancers and Sacramento Firefighters Pipes and Drums. 106.5 The Buzz and Radio 94.7 will be on site all day, with appearances by Andy Hawk of Jaime White Mornings on The Buzz, and Casey & Alicia from Radio 94.7. Live musical performances begin at 11:30 am with Nine 8ths Irish, and continue through the day with Whiskey & Stitches at 2:30 pm and the Black-Eyed Dempseys at 4:30 pm. Headliner and San Francisco U2 tribute band, Zoo Station takes the stage at 7:30 pm.

Getting around
If you’re planning to party in the park, make sure you plan ahead to get home safe by having a designated driver, taking public transit, or spending the night Downtown.

Party-goers have a variety of transit options available for the event. The DSP has partnered with Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates (SABA) to provide complimentary bike valet service at the Party in the Park. For those driving to the event, a discounted parking rate of $5 after 5 p.m. is available at the City Hall Garage located at 10th and I streets.

Last Call Sacramento will also be onsite to prevent buzzed and drink drivers from getting on the road. The local company will provide complimentary safe rides for event attendees and their cars courtesy of the Downtown Sacramento Partnership.

Local hotels are also offering special discounts on St. Patrick’s Day for party goers. The Hyatt Regency Sacramento is offering a $99 rate on March 17 with promo code “BFFE Rate Plan.” The Citizen Hotel is offering rooms for $109/night online using promo code “CLOVER” for stays March 16-20.

Keep the Party Going
If your evening isn't over at 10pm when the de Vere's St. Patrick's Day Party in the Park comes to a close, there are a variety of St. Patrick's parties continuing into the wee hours. The de Vere's Pub Party will continue til last call, and is within walking distance. Buy your tickets in advance at sacstpats.com to make sure you can get in after the Party in the Park. Events at Brew it Up!, Gallaghers, Dive Bar, Vive!, Parlare, and District 30 are also very close by. If you're ready for fourth meal, de Vere's has got you covered for amazing Irish food, and Wayside Noodles, Ambrosia Cafe, Pizza Rock, and Cafeteria 15L are all close by and open late with delicious grub to fill your belly.

For more event details, visit deveresderules.com. or sacstpats.com Don’t forget, the Downtown Sacramento Partnership (@DowntownSac) be tweeting live from the park all day on Thursday. Follow the conversation on Twitter by searching the hashtag #SacStPats.

Disclosure: Megan Emmerling is the Marketing Manger for the Downtown Sacramento Partnership.

St. Patrick's Day fundraiser inspires Sacramento to go bald

2011-03-16T04:48:13Z

Hair clippings were scattered along the sidewalk in front of de Vere’s Irish Pub Monday, which hosted the St. Baldrick’s fundraiser benefiting childhood cancer research organizations Keaton Raphael Memorial and St. Baldrick’s.

An estimated more than 200 participants showed up to shave their heads, and it wasn’t just men going under the clippers. Women and children were also a part of the mix.

St. Baldrick's is an international foundation dedicated to raising funds to find cures for childhood cancers. Located in Monrovia, Calif., it stands as a larger umbrella organization that partners with smaller groups. Keaton Raphael Memorial is one of these groups.

Keaton Raphael Memorial is a nonprofit organization from Roseville that was started by Robyn Raphael in memory of her son, who died after a nine-month battle with Neuroblastoma, a cancer that affects the nervous system.

Julie Fry, events coordinator for the Keaton Raphael Memorial, said they wanted an event focused around St. Patrick's Day in March. Before last year, she said, the event had always been held at the UC Davis Cancer Center in Sacramento.

“We are an organization that helps families with financial, educational and emotional support,” she said.

The entire event began inside de Vere's and spilled over L Street, which was blocked off for hair-shaving stations. The hair-clipping stations were donated by one of the sponsor's, Jodi McCray who owns 20 Supercuts franchises in the greater Sacramento area.

“When there were offers for us to participate,” McCray said, “it was huge because we are local, and it is an honor to be part of St. Baldricks.”

“This is the first one,” McCray said, “but now that we've started, we'll be carrying on with more fundraisers throughout the year.”

Those who had their hair clipped, called shavees, did so as an act of solidarity with the those suffering from childhood cancer.

Beforehand, 185 people had registered on the de Vere's website and had donated $73,812. The grand total count of shavees and funds raised won't be available until later in the week.

Justin Laffoday, who was in line to get his head shaved, said he came out because he is good friends with the de Vere White family, which owns the pub.

“It's a good cause, and it’s a good time,” he added.

Co-owner and manager of de Vere's Irish Pub, Henry de Vere White, said his father, Ralph, originally held the event at the UC Davis Cancer Center for which he serves as director.

“I asked if I could steal it from him,” Henry de Vere White said, “and he said that it was fine, anything that brings in research money.”

Last year, they raised more than $90,000, de Vere White said, adding that his hopes were to beat that this year.

“So far, its going good,” he said partway through the evening, “It can only grow from here.”

Donations were organized through different outlets, like the memorial website and the de Vere's Irish Pub, but also from the beer truck parked outside, where all the proceeds from outdoor purchases went straight into the pool of donations raised.

“Cancer affects everyone in their life,” McCray said. “But here, still it’s very festive, it's a big celebration.”

Jazz on J brings live Jazz to Downtown Sacramento

2011-03-16T02:30:35Z

Seeing a lack of regular jazz shows in the central city, Grady O’Bryant sought to fill that void with a weekly series called Jazz on J at Shenanigans bar on J Street.

Jazz on J features a local jazz band every Thursday. The first Jazz on J show was on Feb. 17.

Grady worked with saxophonist Ava Lemert to create Jazz on J, which had its fourth show Thursday. Lemeret performs every week before the featured band.

“Grady and I met up at Shenanigan’s to talk about putting something together,” Lemert said. “He and I are the creators of the series. Grady had the idea that he wanted to put something together. Maybe have something every week.”

Every Thursday, from 6 - 7 p.m., local jazz artist Ava Lemert sings and plays her saxophone. The featured band plays from 7 - 9 p.m., and DJ Rock Bottom spins from 9 p.m. to midnight playing a contemporary jazz mix. Cover charge is $10.

O’Bryant explained his motivation behind starting Jazz on J.

“I worked over the past three years with various jazz bands,” O’Bryant said. “They complained that there’s not enough venues featuring jazz bands.”

O’Bryant also runs Sacramento Wine & Night Life Tours. He said he is planning on combining Jazz on J and the tours.

“I got a little different twist on it,” he said. “We’re bringing wine makers from wine country to Jazz on J, and we’re bringing the jazz bands out to wine country, too.”

The jazz scene has been lacking in Sacramento, Larry Ellis Jr. said. The 36-year veteran jazz pianist has been witness to the scene shrinking and growing for the past three decades. Larry Ellis Jr. and Southwind were featured at Jazz on J on March 3.

“The jazz scene as far as the kind of jazz that I play is really weak in Sacramento,” Ellis said. “Sacramento is notorious for supporting it for a little while and then flaking out.”

Ellis expressed hope and enthusiasm about Jazz on J.

“Jazz on J St. is a rekindling of jazz in Sacramento. It’s an outstanding event – a place for grown folks to go and enjoy themselves,” Ellis said. “They have good-quality music.”

Sabor Jazz was featured on opening night, on Feb. 17. Micheal Otwell plays flute and saxophone in Sabor Jazz.

“Grady is an absolute networking monster,” Otwell said. “He pulled us into the Jazz on J family of all places from Facebook. I never thought I would get a gig through Facebook.”

“The venue’s really good to play at,” Otwell said. “We had a pretty good crowd of about 50 or 60 people. The social media thing was really working for us.”

DJ Rock Bottom (profile on The Sacramento Press here) was asked to perform by O’Bryant to DJ Jazz on J.

“I think it’s great. It’s a good idea. It’s a good thing for the scene,” he said. “Many jazz musicians that don’t have that avenue to expose themselves on a commercial level can get exposure here.

“People don’t have to drive to the bay for it anymore,” he added. “It gives the people that love it the opportunity to see it live every week.”

Bill Meyer plays lead guitar for Innersoul. They were featured during the second week.

“I think it’s a very positive thing, and I’m glad to see the music is coming back to Sacramento,” Meyer said. “I think it’s going to grow.”

For information about future events, go to JazzonJ.com.

One Farm at a Time: Co-ops come together to save local farmland

2011-03-15T04:04:08Z

In a small family acreage in nearby Capay Valley, farmers Annie and Jeff Main have worked their land for more than 30 years so they may provide diverse, organic produce to the local community.

But the threat of increasing costs, commercial development and their approaching retirement motivated the Mains to take action and collaborate with the community to preserve their farm, Good Hummus Produce. Starting about 10 years ago, the Mains have devoted themselves to not only preserving their own land, but making all family-operated farmland accessible and affordable for future generations.

Realizing the challenge that the community faces as the owners of local organic farms reach retirement age, Paul Cultrera, general manager of the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op (SNFC), and Eric Stromberg, general manager of the Davis Natural Foods Co-op (DFC), formed the One Farm at a Time program, focusing their first effort on Good Hummus Produce.

Starting quietly last spring, the campaign’s mission is to raise funds to save the local farms such as Good Hummus that supply their market with fresh food, as well as form awareness and strong relationships between co-op customers and local farmers.

“I’m from Massachusetts, and when I grew up, I lived with the results of what could happen here. I mean the farms aren’t there anymore. And it sort of hit me,” Cultrera said. “Here we are in this incredibly fertile part of the country. You can basically grow anything here. And we’ve got all these great farmers who’ve spent 30-40 years building up the soil and building these relationships with their communities, and it could all go away.

“It’s in our co-op’s best interest to support these farms, because if those farms aren’t there, we’re not going to have the food,” he added.

The solution that the Mains helped form to these various agricultural and economic challenges came in the form of an easement, which, with the support of national and local land trust, would put limitations on how the land can be used, protecting it from development. In addition, an easement would allow younger farmers to purchase the land and farm it for its agricultural value, which at the Good Hummus Farm would be $100,000 – 200,000, a much more affordable price than its commercial price given to developers. With eight farmers over 65 years of age for every farmer under 35, the easement will allow retired farmers to pass along their land to younger farmers eager to take it over and learn from generations of organic farming.

“Jeff turns 60 this year, and I’m 58, and we have some years left, but the question is, if our kids aren’t going to do it, who is?” Annie Main said of their retirement. “What we’re trying to do is create a family infrastructure that can be passed on. If a family doesn’t exist, then we create the family.”

Lacks of government money inspired the Mains and Cultrera to seek their own funding. Good Hummus Farm, with the help of the Davis and Sacramento co-ops, raised about $150,000 in funds from mainly individual donations.

“As painful as it is, we felt that that’s what we want because it’s community support and belief of what we’re doing and what can happen that’s important,” Main said.

Based on cooperative economics, the co-ops invited their customers to support the campaign by donating at the co-op register or online or by purchasing SNFC and DFC One Farm at a Time merchandise such as a piggy bank children can fill up with coins and return to the co-ops.

In addition, several co-op suppliers gave grants to underwrite the campaign startup costs, and so far, vendors Equal Exchange Coffee, Straus, Lundburg Family Farms, Organic Valley and Veritable Vegetable have agreed to donate proceeds from their products sold at the co-ops.

Cultrera has carried this vision strongly throughout the local community.

“We’re not just trying to raise money, we’re trying to build a community. We’re trying to have our customers have a stake in saving farms,” he said.

Upon local success of One Farm at a Time, the campaign could be replicated nationally as co-ops and farms across the country partner together to reach a greater audience and to preserve farmland.

"The bottom line is, it’s not just us...It’s one farm and then the next," Main said. "If we don’t do this, I believe that we’re going to see a lot of small farms disappear.

"A lot of farms are watching what we’re doing and waiting to see how it works. But you do things that you believe in...and you want to see it completed."

City wants 65th Street bike lanes

2011-03-15T00:35:46Z

New bike lanes could be added to 65th Street if the city receives enough cash from the state.

The City Council is expected to approve the application for funding to install bicycle lanes on 65th Street between Fourth Avenue and Folsom Boulevard. The issue will be reviewed at Tuesday night’s council meeting.

The city’s transportation department estimates the new bike lanes will cost $337,000 to install. California would pay most of the project’s costs if it selects the city’s application for the state’s Bicycle Transportation Account grant program. The city would pay 10 percent of the cost from revenues from Measure A, a local half-cent sales tax applied to street projects, according to Ed Cox, the city’s bike and pedestrian coordinator.

“The city is seeking to put bike lanes at this location because there are few opportunities to cross Highway 50,” Cox said in an e-mail Monday.

Bike lanes at the 65th Street site would link bicyclists to several key spots, he said.

“This location happens to connect existing student housing at Fourth Avenue to the (Sacramento) State campus,” Cox said. “It also connects East Sacramento residents to the new Target store, and it connects residents south of Highway 50 to the 65th Street light rail station.”

Tricia Hedahl, executive director of the Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates organization, spoke positively about the city’s plans. She said bike lanes on 65th Street would link with the T Street bikeway, allowing bicyclists more access to points such as Sacramento State.

“This is a really important connection,” Hedahl said.

At the same time, she said she is concerned about the high traffic on 65th Street. If the city moves forward on the project, it should ensure that bike lanes are 6 feet wide and “very visible,” she said.

The city could create the bike lanes by October 2012 if the state decides to fund the project, according to Cox.

Read the report by city staff on the bike lanes proposal here.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Kicks and Giggles win the Xoso Sport & Social League Winter Indoor Kickball league!

2011-03-14T23:43:22Z

After finishing the regular season at 7-1, "Kicks and Giggles" were one of the favorites to win it all this season in Xoso's Winter Indoor Kickball league. They figured to have to match up against "Just the Tip", the other 7-1 team whom they had beaten by only three runs during the regular season. They didn't get the chance for an epic showdown.

In the first round, they faced off against the #4 seeded "I'd Hit That". The first inning was the double damage inning, where every run counts for 2. IHT scored once in the top of the inning, and then quickly got two outs in the bottom half. Needing one more out to hold KnG scoreless in the important double damage inning, they watched KnG rally for 7 runs, to take a 14-2 lead. That proved to be the difference for most of the game. IHt got as close as 17-10 before falling to KnG 22-12.

In the second semi-final game, "Just the Tip" squared off with "thebomb.com". In the regular season, "Just the Tip" won both matchups, by 6 runs in the first game, and by 9 runs in the second. This time, "thebomb.com" had their number. It was 5-2 in favor of thebomb.com after three innings, but then they opened it up in the double damage inning, taking a 17-7 lead and going on to win 20-6.

The championship matchup gave KnG a chance to redeem themselves for their only regular season loss, against thebomb.com. This game proved to be a defensive battle for the two high scoring teams. After scoring three runs in the first inning, KnG lead 3-0. Then both teams added two runs in the 2nd inning. After the 3rd inning it was 8-3, and it was still 8-3 heading into the final inning before KnG added four more runs. Final score: 12-3 in favor of Kicks and Giggles.

Congratulations to Kicks and Giggles on their championship season!

The Vibe Foundation hosts Cake Decoration Contest in Midtown

2011-03-14T05:21:35Z

The Vibe Foundation held Cake Craze Saturday night. The Vibe Foundation hosted their Cake Craze fundraising event Saturday night, pitting nine local bakeries against each other in a cake-decorating contest themed “Generation Y” at 1725 K St.

The event was fundraising for the organization’s opening this summer.

Julia Hidalgo,18, another Christian Brothers senior, is the chair of Vibe’s youth board.

“The fundraiser is really just to get our doors open,” Hidalgo said.

Hidalgo expressed her vision of Vibe as molding to the needs of the youth community that leads it.

“It’s all about what kids want,” Hidalgo said. “If kids want free SAT classes, maybe we’ll do that,” Hidalgo said. “We’re hoping to get our doors open no later than July.”

Chelsea Carter,18, is a senior at Christian Brothers High School and is Vibe’s event planner. She said Vibe’s goal was to provide a place for Sacramento youth to go and hang out at night.

“Basically we want a place for teenagers and youth to hang out in a safe place,” Carter said. “We are working to create a teen urban lounge and career and resource center.”

“It was so stressful to do it and plan it to get stuff done,” Carter said. “Now that it’s here, it’s fantastic. The music and the cakes are super cool,” said Carter. “I’m glad everything is working out well.”

Sweet Cakes was awarded the Incomparable Innovation (best in show) prize.

Kat’s Cakes was awarded the Premium Pioneering (most creative) prize.

Crazy Cake Company was awarded the Optimum Outrageousness (most outrageous) prize.

Cake Castle Bakery was awarded the Supreme Stimulation (best depiction of theme) prize.

The event was well attended with a steady stream of people coming and going. The organizers felt the event went well.

Christine Giffin, Vibe’s executive director, echoed Hidalgo’s sentiment that Vibe activities are open to the interpretation of the youth who lead the organization.

“I’m not attached to any one idea with this place,” Giffin said. “The idea is just whatever our current generation of teens in Sacramento want, that’s what Vibe aspires to be.”

Access Sacramento to start Neighborhood News Bureaus

2011-03-12T01:34:13Z

Access Sacramento is putting together a network of news bureaus in the South Sacramento area. The goal is to get youth to report for their communities, producing news stories about South Sacramento. The effort is based around a website that access Sacramento has set up called accesslocal.tv.

Ron Cooper, executive director of Access Sacramento, said that besides being known for negative news, South Sacramento seems to be absent from the news altogether. He wants to help revitalize the area through empowering the youth to become news reporters and serve them by developing their journalism skills.

“South Sacramento is big area with lots of people and lots of ethnic diversity,” Cooper said. “Stories with positives don’t usually trickle out.”

There are currently five neighborhood news bureau locations. Asian Resources, La Familia, Florin Creek, Pannell Center and Valley Hi-North Laguna Library were selected as the initial locations to host the news bureaus. They were provided with computers, flip cameras and funding for training.

“Young people accept challenges and changes much more readily. That’s always been the case,” said Cooper said. “I like the idea of organizing young people and challenging them to tell the stories of their communities.”

A part of the project is bringing in the technological resources for youth to use. The project is providing computers and cameras to help them report stories. He said that providing the resources and letting youth “play” and experiment will be an important way of developing how the neighborhood news bureaus turn out.

“I’m not launching a five-year plan here. We have some tenets, but it has to be responsive to what we learn along the way,” Cooper said. “Over the next six months, we will gradually widen the sphere and add more neighborhood news bureaus.”

The Sacramento Metropolitan Cable Television Commission provided the initial technological equipment.

“We went to the Sacramento Metro Cable Commission, and they gave the equipment necessary for the initial sites,” Cooper said.

Part of the project is being funded through the California Endowment, which selected South Sacramento as one of 14 neighborhoods across California in need of assistance, said Christine Tien, California Endowment’s Sacramento’s program manager.

“For us, it’s a youth empowerment tool – a good way to generate stories from the youth perspective, especially in the South Sac area,” Tien said. “Currently, the only type of stories coming out of South Sac are crime-related.”

“Part of the grant is for training youth to be community reporters, reporting from their perspective on community issues.” Tien said.

Fong Tran is a youth coordinator at Asian Resources. He works on helping to produce and guide the stories of the young reporters.

“The purpose of the neighborhood news bureaus is to provide an opportunity for grassroots and community organizations to work with youth, and to put out news that comes from the community and the community perspective.” Tran said.

“It’s a chance for, what were marginalized communities, to speak in their own words about events and topics,” Tran said. “It’s a way for youth to get what they want to say out to the mainstream world.”

Access Sacramento is a nonprofit community media organization that provides resources to Sacramento community members to produce independent media. The organization has been producing radio and cable programmes for the last 25 years. The neighborhood news bureaus are the most recent way of engaging the Sacramento community.

To learn more about the neighborhood news bureaus, visit AccessLocal.tv.

Chief Braziel to discuss succession plans

2011-03-08T01:46:58Z

Within the next three years, nearly 75 percent of the Sacramento Police Department’s staff, ranked captain and higher, will be eligible for retirement, according to police department spokeswoman Laura Peck.

Sacramento Police Chief Rick Braziel will address the department’s succession plans and other concerns regarding top staff at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting.

City Councilman Rob Fong requested Braziel make a presentation, saying he was concerned over former Sacramento Police Capt. Daniel Hahn’s move earlier this month to become Roseville’s police chief.

“Whenever there are openings in the region, people tend to look at our folks,” Fong said, adding that the city should ensure it’s not “grooming” chiefs for other cities.

In addition to Hahn’s recent move, Braziel seriously considered leaving last year to become Seattle’s police chief. Braziel ultimately decided to stay with Sacramento and stopped the interviewing process in Seattle.

At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Braziel will discuss “the future of the organization,” Peck said.

The department will need to start preparing for possible retirements of its leaders, she said. Sworn officers are eligible for retirement contributions at age 50, she noted.

Braziel, 51, said last June that he planned to retire in three to four years. Peck said Braziel was unavailable to be interviewed Monday afternoon.

The City Council will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall, 915 I St.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Yo-yo championship comes to Downtown Plaza

2011-03-07T04:51:43Z

Yo-yo competitors from all around the world came together for the California State Yo-yo Championship Saturday. Returning champion, Jensen Kimmitt took the Westfield Downtown Plaza stage to win yet another trophy and this year’s $1,000 grand prize.

Booking his ticket almost last minute, Kimmitt, 22, a 13-year veteran of yo-yoing, took a flight out of his native Canada around 1 a.m. Friday in order to be in Sacramento for the championship.

“It feels like a relief,” Kimmitt said after his win, as kids came up to him for autographs, handshakes and high-fives.

It's been stressful in his hometown of Edmonton, he said, where he's been indoors for days because the temperature has been around -30 degrees Celsius, and at times four feet of snow has fallen.

“I probably got cabin fever,” Kimmitt admitted.

Despite his anxiety from the indoors, it has given him the opportunity to practice enough to be reigning world champion and now two-time California State champion.

The organizer of the event, Chris Allen, who also runs the website yoyoskills.com, said he has been yo-yoing for 20 years, 12 of them professionally.

“I picked up a yo-yo at 14 and I got pretty good,” he said.

Before he became the organizer of the event, he was originally looking to organize a competition in Sacramento. Before that idea got off the ground, he was asked to organize and run the Cal
State yo-yo Championship in 2010.

Previously it had been held in San Francisco, but Allen wanted to bring a yo-yo event to the capital, so he moved the championship to Downtown Plaza last year.

“It's a very nice outdoor mall,” he said. “It brought a lot people, so we're doing it at the same place.”

Before the competition had begun, there were small huddles of people whipping their florescent yo-yos around and sharing their latest tricks.

The contest began with the first of six divisions, the Ladder division. The Ladder division is designed for kids and amateurs. In this category, the contestants are given a sheet of paper with specific tricks and they must try to complete as many of them as possible.

After this first round, the more serious contenders took the stage for the five remaining divisions.

Each division had its preliminaries, which were then whittled down to its top contestants. Each contestant in each division was judged by the same panel of five judges, three of whom are yo-yo masters. There are only 13 yo-yo masters in the entire world. The judges used a scoring rubric of national yo-yo standards set by the National Yo-Yo League.

The first division, offered the largest cash prize of $1,000 dollars and the title of California State Champion. The challenge consisted of using one yo-yo and being as technically proficient as possible with only one minute in the prelims and two minutes if a contestant advanced to the finals.

The second division, which offered a prize of $250, was to see how many “looping tricks” one could do inside the allotted time.

In the third division, which also offered a $250 prize, contestants used two yo-yos, one in each hand, to perform.

The fourth division, offering a $250 prize, is a “really interesting” style, Allen said. Contestants use an oversized yo-yo that isn't connected to the string and juggle it.

The final division, which comes with a $500 prize, was what Allen called a “freehand” style. One ties the string to a counterweight, he said, like a piece of die or something small and plastic, and juggles both ends of the yo-yo while doing tricks from the middle of the string.

The interesting part of the competition, is that The winner of the first division does not always end up to be a California resident, Allen said.

“Even if you don't win but are the highest-ranking from California, you get that title, which automatically qualifies you for the regionals,” he said.

Last year's highest-ranking contestant in California was Paul Han from San Francisco, who also co-runs a small yo-yo company called Bombsquad. Han has been competing about as long as he has been yo-yoing for about 15 years.

Some of the contestants were part of sponsored teams, including Yolex, a team from Roseville. Created by Mike and Colleen Hendon, part owners and managers of the Learning Express toy stores.

“Kids working for us showed interest,” Mike Hendon said. “So, we started the club about one year ago.”

Yolex had five kids competing, ranging in age from 10 to 17.

One contestant, Alex Hattori, 13, competed in both the first and third divisions, placing second in the latter. Though he has only been yo-yoing for about a year and a half, he is last year's champion from the national junior competition, which took place in Chico.

In his hometown of Torrance, Hattori is a local figure for his yo-yoing. He regularly performs at nursing homes and fundraisers and even teaches kids with attention deficit disorder to yo-yo. He even started a club for yo-yoing at his middle school he attends.

“He shows them tricks, breaks it down, and it’s a lot of fun for everyone,” said Linda Hattori, Alex's mother. “It's just amazing,” she said. “to watch him up there. I'm very proud of him.”

Hattori said she really likes the yo-yo culture and community because of the camaraderie.

“It's an individual thing,” she said. “You’re not letting anyone down when you try and work at it alone. It's just amazing. Everyone's out here having fun.”

The full results can be found on the California Yo-Yo Contest website.

Guild Theater to host Found Footage Fest

2011-03-02T06:45:23Z

Found Footage Fest, a screening featuring odd and obscure videos compiled by curators Nick Prueher and Joe Pickett, will be presenting its latest collection on Sunday at the Guild Theater in Oak Park.

The showing is a guided tour through a collection of 75 funny clips and segments with Prueher and Pickett explaining when and where they found each piece of footage, along with other commentary to put each set into context.

“Sometimes it’s a standalone clip, and sometimes it's a montage,” Prueher said. “Home videos, training videos, exercise videos, this is the stuff that wasn't mean to be shown to the public.”

Now in its seventh year, they are taking the show back on the road and presenting their new screening, called “Volume 5.”

“We started by showing them to friends,” Prueher said. That was back as early as 1991. By 2004, when a more elaborate collection was built, Prueher and Pickett thought they could do something more with it.

“We thought we could take this thing we do with our friends and put it in a movie theater,” Prueher said.

After curating an initial set of videos, they held the first showing in 2004, and in 2005 made a national tour using it. Since then, they have still been collecting off-the-wall videos and compiling new footage packages for each year of the tour.

This marks the fifth year Found Footage Fest has come to Sacramento and the third year it is being sponsored by Movies On A Big Screen.

Movies On A Big Screen is the brainchild of Sacramento Locals Robert McKeown and Deann Little, who became tired of independent features or films, such as Found Footage Fest, skipping Sacramento.

“We started it in 2006,” McKewon said. “We wanted to play movies that hit other metropolitan areas but didn't get to Sacramento.”

This led to the start of a weekly film series with “Cocaine Cowboys,” a documentary about the Miami drug trade.

When Prueher and Pickett approached McKeown through e-mail in 2008 about hosting Found Footage Fest, it seemed a perfect fit.

“They approached us, and we wanted to fill that gap,” McKeown said.

Preceding the headlining Found Footage Fest, there will be a 25-year anniversary showing of the cult-classic “Heavy Metal Parking Lot.”

“Heavy Metal Parking Lot” is a short documentary directed by Jeff Krulik and John Heyn that was filmed in a concert arena parking lot in Maryland before a 1986 Judas Priest concert. It was originally a video bootleg that acquired a cult following until finally, in 2006, it gained an official release.

This year’s fest will feature clips from self-hypnosis videos on how to be a better lover, how-to videos on ventriloquism, and a compilation of exercise clips, some of which feature Cher and the American Gladiators.

The videos shown are “cream of the crop,” Prueher said. “We save the best stuff for the live shows.”

Found Footage Fest begins at 8 p.m., and tickets are $10. The Guild theater is located at 2828 35th St.