It’s that time of the year again and the question remains the same, “What are you doing for the holidays?” While some people maintain the same traditions they were raised with, some have welcomed new traditions and some just plain don’t celebrate at all. The Sacramento Press asked locals what their holiday plans were for this year.Alley Katz cook, Felipe Olivares, 39, said he was born in California but his parents moved here from Mexico and while he has become accustomed to the new lifestyle, he has maintained the Spanish holiday tradition throughout the years. “When I grew up, I went to a school that was literally named ‘White School,’ I was one of two Mexicans in the school,” Olivares s

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 reall

With an 8-1 vote Tuesday, the City Council put a nine-month hold on the application and permit process for medical marijuana dispensaries, bringing everything to a standstill. City Councilman Darrell Fong was the only dissenting vote, citing concerns that proximity of dispensaries to schools and parks is not adequately addressed in the ordinance. The freeze left some dispensary operators and medical marijuana patients concerned for the future of dispensaries and of the ability to access medicine. The Sacramento Press asked people for their opinion of the current state of limbo that medical marijuana dispensaries are in. Reactions from Sacramentans ranged from mild to animated – one thin

Sacramento is home to many interesting buildings, from the Capitol to the elaborate Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. On Wednesday, The Sacramento Press asked professional architects along with people on the streets what their favorite building is in Sacramento. Twenty-five-year-old state worker Megan Samuelson said that her favorite building in Sacramento is the Park Tower, located at 980 Ninth St. “I think it’s clean and simple,” she said. Samuelson said that she likes how the building is right across from Cesar Chavez Plaza. “Driving on I-5 south coming into Sacramento, you can see it in the distance,” she said. She added that she thought it is representative of Sacramento’s char

Businesses are a vital element of any city’s economy; they create jobs, enhance commerce and give people places to spend their hard-earned money. Sacramento still has plenty of room for new shops and industries, and the Sacramento Press asked locals what type of business they would like to see open here. “We’re missing a lot,” said waitress Giuliana Gabrielli, who said that she believes the most important thing to bring to Sacramento is a better transit system.  “Every major city that’s cool has really good public transportation," she said. She added that if we revamped our transit system, “it would definitely make travelling within the city easier.” Jacqui Hayes, a 26-year-old studen

Man on the Street With the rest and relaxation that a three-day weekend brings, the real meaning of Labor Day is easy to ignore. Tedious, outright boring and occasionally enjoyable jobs are recalled as the Sacramento Press asks locals: What was your first job? “Working in a convalescent hospital washing dishes,” said Ilene Silva, 58, from Sacramento. “It was awful. I guess my first real job was working for the state, which I’m still doing. “In those days, you made around $420 a month as a typist,” Silva added. “I enjoyed that better than washing dishes. Washing dishes was nasty, especially in the summer when it was really hot. I did that while I was going to college. It was convenient,

We’ve all felt the pangs of Sacramento’s economic downturn, from some people losing jobs to others finding it more difficult every day to get one, and the more unfortunate circumstance of many even losing their businesses or homes. But how much longer is it expected to last, and is this the worst of it? The Sacramento Press asked people in Capitol Park their thoughts on whether Sacramento is in a recession or a depression.   Capitol area resident, 55-year-old Diana Williams, program technician for the Department of Health, said she sees both: “The reason for it is that I’ve been on the service (for the State) a little while, and I’ve experienced difficulties in politics where it’s inf

Residents know all about the perks of living in the capital city: easy access to the river, a lively downtown nightlife and great family-friendly attractions. They can also tell you the best place to watch a sunset. The Sacramento Press asked people where the best place to watch a sunset is in the Sacramento area and this is what they said. Ike Johnson, 59, Elk Grove resident and Hewlett Packard employee, said, “The best place to watch a sunset is overlooking the river. Right off Freeport Boulevard you can just drive down there and there is a good area where you can watch the boats pass by and then watch the sunset.” Chalena Alston, 22, a caregiver and recent college graduate living

Everyone has had encounters with either really great or really awful service no matter where they live, and the people of Sacramento are no exception. The Sacramento Press hit the streets recently and asked people where they had received the best or worst service in the area. Quoc Nguyen, 27, a store manager living in downtown Sacramento, gave examples of two places he'd received the worst and best service. “The best service I've had was at a coffee shop called Chocolate Fish, because they are very knowledgeable about their products and I like the 'Great White',” Nguyen said. “I'm Vietnamese, so I can say this: I receive the worst service at Vietnamese restaurants. I don't usually tip

Sacramento has been listed in Time Magazine as one of most diverse cities in America. The city is also known for its trees and for being an hour away from everything including mountains, the ocean, and other major cities. The Sacramento Press took to the streets to ask: Is Sacramento a good place to live or leave? Dan Kaiser, a retired diesel mechanic who currently lives in Manteca, said Sacramento doesn’t have a bad rap like other major cities. “It’s a hub of activity. There are problems but (Mayor) Kevin Johnson is doing a good job. Old town Sacramento is an important part of Sacramento too because there’s a lot of fun things to do. It’s a very family oriented-town.”  Kao Xiong is or

Spring is here, which means the kids have been hibernating all winter and are ready for some outdoor fun. The Sacramento Press recently posed the question, “Where is the best place to take kids to have fun for less than $20,” to people at Westfield Downtown Plaza. Joseph Enriquez, 22, of Elk Grove is a personal trainer. “(I would take them to) Funderland,” he said. Funderland is a small, outdoor amusement park at 1350 17th Ave. for children ages 2 to 12. There are nine child-sized rides. Admission to Funderland is free and each ride requires one ticket. Funderland offers single tickets for $1.75 on weekdays and $1.95 on weekends and has ticket books, wristbands and season passes. For

In these tough economic times, everyone is looking for ways to save money. From cutting back on the daily lattes to at-home “staycations,” people are getting more and more creative in the ways they choose to spend – or not spend – their money. One trend that seems to be really taking off lately is couponing: clipping out and saving up those little 20-cents-off and buy-2-get-1-free offers that grocery stores put in the inserts of the Sunday paper. Recently, TLC network aired a new reality show about this very topic, “Extreme Couponing.” This isn’t your momma’s coupon-clipping, however. In “Extreme Couponing,” we get to see folks who are crazy-good at saving money on their groceries. (Or

Judging by the blossoming trees in Capitol Park and the skyrocketing pollen count in the air, spring has sprung in Sacramento. And with this change in weather comes the ultimate springtime holiday: Easter. In honor of the occasion, The Sacramento Press hit the streets to ask travelers at the Amtrak station: How do you like to spend Easter? Bernadette Stafford, 25, a social worker from downtown Sacramento, had a unique take on how she spends Easter. “I go to my parents’ house, and we harvest stuff from our garden as a way of giving thanks to Mother Earth,” she said. “It’s totally granola hippie stuff,” she added with a laugh. Stafford said she has never actually celebrated Easter itself

We all have parents. But while many may love and appreciate their mothers and fathers, there are just some things not meant to be shared between parents and children. The Sacramento Press recently posed the question, “Where in Sacramento would you never want to take your parents,” to individuals at Westfield Downtown Plaza. After speaking to some fellow Sacramentans, the most common response was nightlife activities. Kevin Watson, 29, lives downtown and works as a graphic designer. He said he thought taking his dad to a club could get pretty weird. “I wouldn’t want to take my dad to Faces (Nightclub). That place is pretty crazy, and it would just be really awkward if he got hit on while

Now that the Maloof family has been granted an extension on the deadline to file paperwork to move the Kings – possibly to Anaheim – it seems the professional sports team’s tenure in Sacramento is coming to an end. The possibility of losing the Kings has been the topic of several press conferences from Mayor Kevin Johnson, and fans are doing all they can to keep the Kings in Sacramento with the “Here We Stay” campaign, but we likely won’t know their fate until mid-April. We asked some of The Sacramento Press staffers to share their memories of attending Kings games. Their responses are below. Feel free to share some of your Kings memories in the conversation at the bottom of the story.

The Sacramento Press is all about providing an outlet for everyone in the community. We recently hit the street to get people's opinions about development in our town. We welcome your suggestions for future "Street Interview" questions. This week's question: In terms of development, what’s the one thing you’d like to see most in the central city?     Marilyn Ayres, 24 Oak Park Resident Owner, Thunderhorse Vintage, 2522 J St. “More affordable housing. Only yuppies can afford to live here. I own a business in Midtown and I can’t afford to live here. It’s pretty ridiculous.”   Maiku Braxton, 28 Midtown Resident “I think those zip cars are really cool. That and more bike racks. Our p

The sun shine's down on a very well put together Stephanie Casteneda. It would be hard not to take notice of this charming plaid shirt. The bronze scarf adds a little extra without taking away from the perfect boots. What would be a good outfit without a perfect pair of sunglasses.