Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "marrs"

Pets invited to Santa’s Workshop in Midtown!

2011-12-16T20:24:29Z

Skip the crowded malls this Saturday and bring your wish lists and your camera down to the MARRS Building to visit Santa’s Workshop! Santa and his elves have opened up their workshop for the past two Saturdays and this Saturday they are inviting the whole family, even the pets!

Residents and visitors are invited to visit Santa’s Workshop at the MARRS Building from 11am-4pm. Pets are welcome to come down from 2pm-4pm. Grateful Dog Daycare will even be on hand to give the photogenic pooches a special treat.

The MARRS Building is located in the heart of Midtown at 20th & J Streets. MARRS retailers invite all, big and small, to join them at this festive event. Retailers at MARRS include Pete’s Coffee, Mr. Pickles, Sacramento Comedy Spot, Azul, Luigi’s Slice, Denim Spot, LoungeON20 and Asha Yoga.

“We are excited to offer Midtown families and visitors the opportunity to meet Santa here at the MARRS Building as part of their Holiday festivities,” said MARRS developer Michael Heller.

Families and their pets will have the opportunity to take their own photos or they can purchase an instant photo for $5 from the on-site photographer. Children are also encouraged to bring their letters to Santa and place them in Santa’s Mailbox for express journey to the North Pole.

Parking will also be FREE during all hours of Santa’s Workshop thanks to the City of Sacramento, who is providing Midtown with FREE Street metered parking all day on weekends and after 4:30 p.m. on weekdays through December 25th.

Please check out marrs-sactown.com for more information specific to each event.

Disclosure: Heather Philpott is the Communication Coordinator at the Midtown Business Association and is a producer of the annual Halloween festivities.

Second Saturday events

2011-12-13T22:30:02Z

Sacramento art galleries hosted small crowds of visitors during the last Second Saturday of the year. Many visitors took advantage of the smaller crowds to do Christmas shopping. Galleries and other businesses sold art, crafts, gift certificates and other items to Christmas shoppers.

Festivities in Sacramento began earlier in the day with the annual Santa Parade. Thousands of children, along with their parents, lined the parade route. The parade started at the corner of 9th and I Streets and an anticipated crowd of over 25 thousand watched.

The annual parade began at 10 a.m. and participants included marching bands, cheer squads, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, several floats, car clubs, horses, community organizations, beauty queens, dancers, actors and other performers. Santa and Mrs. Claus were the most anticipated and popular members of the parade.

Another holiday event also took place later in the day during Second Saturday festivities. La Raza Galería Posada staged a community posada “Las Posaditas” on Saturday and will bring the event to Midtown again on Saturday, December 17.

The posada (lodging) is a re-enactment of the story of Joseph and Mary searching for lodging. Volunteers played the parts of an angel, Joseph and Mary.

The posada started with Galería Posada’s Program Coordinator Roberto Lopez welcoming guests and giving a little history about the posada and where the procession was going to take place.

Posada participants caroled the Midtown area with several songs that included “Jingle Bells,” “El Niño del Tambor,” “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” and other songs.

Following the biblical story of Mary and Joseph seeking lodging and going from inn to inn the posada made a couple of stops. The first destination was Casa de Español located at 2115 J Street.

The number of carolers was around 65 when they began and each of them entered Casa de Español for some chocolate and drink treats after singing several songs.

The second stop of the evening for the posada procession was Gallery 2110 and the Sacramento Art Complex. Several visitors to the Sacramento Art Complex enjoyed the carolers who ended their singing with “Feliz Navidad.”

The procession made one final stop at the MARRS Building on 20th Street. By this time the carolers had grown in size as others joined in. A piñata awaited the carolers where they sang several more holiday songs.

Children took turns as they tried to break a piñata and afterwards tamales were provided for the posada carolers.

The posadas will take place once again at the Galería Posada on Saturday, December 17. I’m not sure if they will follow the same route but visit their website to find more information.

Free event this weekend in Midtown- Midtown Modern Arts Festival

2011-10-13T20:08:37Z

The Capital Cities Artober celebration is in full effect and Midtown is excited to give the Sacramento region another opportunity to explore and commemorate the arts in a big way. This Saturday, October 15th, the Midtown Modern Arts Festival (MMAF) will take place on 20th Street between J & K. The FREE family-friendly street-fair will occur from Noon – 6:00pm and is guaranteed to offer attendees a broad spectrum of creativity including Music, Dance, Comedy, the Visual Arts and every medium in-between.

The festival will feature a performance program on two separate stages: the KlickNation Stage and the MARRS Building Stage. Performing artists include the Sacramento Ballet, The Sacramento Philharmonic, Capital Stage Company, The Sacramento Comedy Spot, Pamela Hayes Classical Ballet, the Harley White Jr. Orchestra, the Element Brass Band and many more.

"The Midtown Modern Arts Festival presented itself as a great opportunity for the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra to reach out to our community in a fun and unique way. Sacramento's arts are so diverse and we are fortunate to have an event like this that showcases the different art forms” stated Greg Wellman of the Sacramento Philharmonic.

In addition to the live performances there will be a variety of interactive art activities and live artistic demonstrations. Some activities to look forward to are: Sugar skull decorating led by the La Raza Galería Posada, the musical instrument petting zoo, and the children's craft corner. Attendees of all ages will also have the opportunity to explore a variety of innovative art process that will be demonstrated during the festival, such as sculpting and portrait drawings.

"The Midtown Business Association is happy to be able support and promote the performing arts groups and galleries that represent Midtown and the greater Sacramento area. This event showcases the great talent and creativity our community provides and we are thrilled to be a part of this premier event." Amber Schmaeling, Program Director.

Don't miss out on all the excitement and entertainment this Saturday, October 15th from Noon-6:00pm at the Midtown Modern Arts Festival!

Disclosure: Heather Philpott is the producer of the Midtown Modern Arts Festival. She currently works for two of the sponsoring organizations, the Midtown Business Association and the Heller Pacific Company.

Santa's Adventures on MARRS

2010-12-05T06:07:17Z

Santa landed on MARRS today and wished everyone a Merry Christmas during 12 Days of Midtown "Holiday on MARRS".

I was there to document this historic event:

Santa and his helper trekked on MARRS bringing good cheer to one and all.

First stop was to get Santa in the zone with some yoga (above and below).

Photo with Santa was part of his adventure.

In and out of doors we went.

Shaking hands and bumping fists is all part of his work.

Off to his sleigh he went when his work here was done.

For more info about midtown CLICK HERE

SacPress Photos | Kati Garner

The Next American Dream - Second Screening

2010-09-30T22:39:53Z

If you missed the last screening of The Next American Dream, you'll have another chance to see the film this weekend. This documentary and dialogue-driver about revitalizing America's urban cores will be showing for free in front of the MARRS building on Saturday evening.

When: Saturday Oct. 2, 6:30-8. Screening will begin at 7pm

Where: In front of MARRS, 1050 20th Street

Cost: Free

Sacramento stands poised for a 21st century transformation. Come and join the discussion about shaping our city's future!

Midtown ice rink opens

2009-11-20T06:19:09Z

Rob Kerth has been getting plenty of Zamboni action the last few nights.

Midtown Business Association's executive director has been staying up late and going out in the early-morning dark to use the ice groomer to help create an ice-skating rink that opens at 10 a.m. Friday in Midtown.

"It's a tremendous amount of work to put up one of these portable rinks," Kerth said Wednesday. "I've been there until 4 in the morning at least five out of the last 10 days."

While most business association leaders might not even know how to spell "Zamboni," Kerth not only knows how to drive one, he owns one. And he has the license to drive it.

That's because until last year, Kerth owned Ice Unlimited, the company that built the holiday rink on a half-block of 20th Street next to J Street. Kerth and his father, William John Kerth, also designed 75 ice-skating rinks all over the country and on other continents as well.

The last rink they designed was at Squaw Valley's High Camp in 1990. The family also has owned Iceland Skating Rink since 1940.

The holiday rink was built in front of the MARRS Building this year due to conflicts at St. Rose of Lima Park, where a rink has operated every holiday for 18 years. The park was renovated and a Carnival of Lights is being held there this year.

Just two days before the Midtown rink was set to open, Kerth rushed to drop off sign materials at GW Print Media while Carlos Rios of Ice Unlimited scraped leaves off the new ice.

More than a dozen people helped build the rink and lay the ice. The project began Nov. 2, when the half block was closed. Skilled construction crews first built a wooden edge smack against street curbs.

They poured in gravel — 10 truckloads of it — and leveled it. Three-quarter-inch foam insulation went on top of the gravel to protect water mains and sewer pipes from freezing. A plastic sheet was laid on top of that and up the sides of the wooden edge, Kerth said.

Then, 69 pipes connected with u-bends on one end were laid. The 123-foot pipes were connected to headers or manifolds on the other end, Rios said.

About 1,800 gallons of saltwater is circulating now through three miles of pipes. Saltwater or "brine" is used because it freezes at a much lower point than fresh water.

The saltwater flows through bigger pipes into coolers inside a big trailer. That system chills the saltwater flowing out to 10 degrees, Rios said.

The saltwater warms up a few degrees outside, but the pipes stay cool enough to freeze the fresh water crews spray on the surface, little by little and layer by layer.

The water was sprayed from one end to the other and back again, forming layers until the ice is 4.25 inches thick. Most work took place between sundown and sunup, Kerth said.

The ice must be thick enough that a skate heel can't hit a pipe, Kerth said.

At 5,000 square feet, the 123-foot by 40-foot rink will be smaller than the St. Rose rink, which was 6,500-square feet.

Sponsors' names were set in the ice on mesh signs or around the rink. Major sponsors include Elk Grove-based Bell Brothers Heating and Air Conditioning, MARRS Building owner Heller Pacific, Harv's Car Wash, CBS13/CW31, California Pizza Kitchen and Sacramento City Councilmember Steve Cohn.

The rink will operate from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. all week. The rink will close at 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Hours on Christmas Day will be noon to 6 p.m. Two to three hours of skating are $5 for kids, $8 for adults. Skate rentals are $2.

The street will be closed for 90 days. The rink will operate until Jan. 18. The rink can hold 200 skaters.

Locals have been talking with MBA about holding activities on a small stage at one end. Some have talked about a tropical hula hoop demo. Fire dancers want to perform next to the ice. Two traveling musicians have talked about informal sessions on Friday nights and other bands may play Saturday nights, Kerth said.

Security will watch the rink overnight.

"They're there to help people not get hurt," Kerth said. "This is not like ice in the Sierras. It is the slickest surface that can be produced."

Photos by Kati Garner. Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Comedy Spot brings laughter to midtown

2009-11-08T03:33:31Z

The Anti-Cooperation League christened the Sacramento Comedy Spot's new location with a long-from improvisational performance on Friday night.

A compelling blend between dry wit, slapstick and quick thinking enthralled the crowd of over 100.

During the performance, the comedians welcomed audience volunteers to the stage to share details about their lives. Adeptly transitioning between scenes portraying gambling-obsessed women, lustful elderly men and hypochondriac middle school children, the performers created a series of hilarious scenes inspired by the volunteers' lives.

One audience volunteer mentioned that he works at the UC Davis Medical Center and has an affinity for stealing pens. In a scene inspired by his life, visiting L.A. comedian Betsy Sodaro entered a room with two pen-obsessed doctors and said, "I have a pretty bad case of cancer, but I have a big box of colored Sharpies — the whole rainbow."

"Everyone supports each other and works off each other," said Brian Crall, performer and Comedy Spot co-owner. "It's about playing smart on stage, taking a creative idea and making it work."

Located in 20th Street's MARRS building, between Lounge on 20 and Azul, the Comedy Spot is bringing affordable improvisational and stand-up comedy to Midtown on Thursday through Sunday nights.

"We are an alternative comedy place," Crall said. "We are not going to charge you a two-drink minimum. You'll have a good time watching quality comedy at a good price."

The new location represents a significant expansion for the Comedy Spot, which had occupied a smaller location on Broadway. The current location is three times larger, Crall said.

"It's like the movie Trading Places,'" Sodaro said. "Broadway was Eddie Murphy and this place is Dan Aykroyd."

Monday through Thursday the Comedy Spot also offers classes on improv, stand-up, and sketch comedy. The Comedy Spot is planning on brining in nationally recognized comedians to help teach some classes, Crall said.

"It's almost like a gravitational pull," said aspiring long-form comedian and Comedy Spot intern Kelsea Williams. Williams hopes that after taking classes, she'll be able to join the Anti-Cooperation League. "They are so good at what they do, it makes you want to be a part of it," she said.

Ticket prices for the Comedy Spot range from $5 to $8. Headlining shows begin at 8 or 9 p.m, while the more experimental performances begin later in the evening. Information about upcoming shows and classes is available at their website.

Photo credit: anthonybento.com

City To Demolish Landmark "Bel-Vue" Building

2009-07-03T21:28:18Z

The city of Sacramento has announced its plans to demolish the Bel-Vue Apartments, a registered city landmark, in order to clear land on 8th Street for a potential future parking structure.

Located adjacent to the now-vacant corner of 8th and K Street, the Bel-Vue was built in 1910 as the American Cash Apartments. Built in the Craftsman style with Asian overtones, the three-story brick building contains apartments above a commercial ground floor. When the Bel-Vue was built, it was one of many downtown apartment buildings. If it was built today, the Bel-Vue would be described as a mixed-use, transit-oriented infill project. The building is currently owned by the city of Sacramento’s housing and redevelopment agency, the result of a complex land exchange between Mohammed “Mo” Mohanna, Z Gallerie owner Joe Zeiden, and the city of Sacramento. This land exchange was part of the currently stalled plans to rehabilitate the 700 block of K Street.

The city’s plan is to prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) containing two possible alternatives for buildings to be built on the site, and then demolish the existing buildings. One alternative is a pair of residential towers 300 feet high, running from K Street to L Street along 8th, originally proposed by former owner Mohanna and developers John Saca (of the failed 301 Capitol Mall project) and John Lambeth. The other alternative is a 300 foot hotel tower at the corner of 8th and K, currently vacant, and a six-story parking structure on the site of the Bel-Vue and the other buildings at the corner of 8th and L. There is no developer or investor specified in the EIR notice of preparation; the city of Sacramento plans to create the EIR and demolish the Bel-Vue and nearby buildings on speculation, in case a developer appears who is interested in constructing the buildings the city has proposed for the site.

When the city of Sacramento acquired the Bel-Vue building and its neighbors, it was an occupied apartment building with several retail tenants on the ground floor. There were also commercial tenants in the adjacent buildings, and apartments above most of those buildings. The city of Sacramento evicted the residents, and today only one retail establishment, a Chinese restaurant, occupies the Bel-Vue, aside from a parking garage in one of the buildings facing L Street.

All of the buildings on the site have a role in local history. 815 L Street, constructed in 1915, was most recently the site of a nightclub of the same name. In 1957, the site was one of the original Sam’s Hof Brau locations. The side of the building, invisible from the street, still bears a painted mural advertising Sam’s. La Rosa, an Italian restaurant opened in 1927, occupied the site before the Hof Brau. On the corner of 8th and L is the Feldhusen Building, a two-story building with ground floor retail and residences upstairs. It was built in 1895 and remodeled in 1954. It was home to many businesses including grocery stores, dressmakers, and the Diamond Club Tavern card room.
Buildings like the Bel-Vue were once commonplace in Sacramento, but over the years they have become very rare.

Today, some developers seek out historic buildings for residential projects, converting them into modern apartments or condominiums. Local companies like D&S Development (http://www.dandsdev.com) have completed projects like the Old Sacramento iLofts and 1409 R, and are now restoring the historic Maydestone Apartments at 16th & J Street. Architect Mike Malinowski, contractor Bruce Booher and CFY Development helped convert the Globe Mills grain mill complex into unique residential lofts. At the Railyards, developer Thomas Enterprises will make the historic Southern Pacific shops buildings the focal point of a new downtown neighborhood. Other adaptive reuse projects like the Citizen Hotel, MARRS, the Cosmopolitan and the Firestone Building show how vacant historic buildings can be made into exciting, unique urban destinations. Projects like these are often more popular than newly-built projects because they offer one-of-a-kind places to live, work and play in an urban setting. They appeal to those who want to be close to the action of the central city and their downtown workplaces, or just like the unique character of historic buildings. Instead of demolishing the Bel-Vue, the building could easily be repaired and returned to its role as a place to live, with businesses on the street to serve downtown’s residents. Restoration of historic buildings is also a greener option than new construction, as it needs far fewer building materials and requires far less landfill space (where the demolished building’s components would end up.) If sales of recent projects like the 1409 R lofts (opened in April and already two-thirds sold) are any indication, these projects are popular even in slow economic markets, while urban infill projects in new buildings are far less successful. Historic buildings can also qualify for tax credits and other incentives that can make rehabilitation cheaper than demolition and new construction. In the right hands, the Bel-Vue could be a gorgeous, attainable new home for Sacramento’s residents for another hundred years.

In recent years, the city of Sacramento has seen many proposed projects fail to materialize. The failure of projects like John Saca’s 301 Capitol Mall towers at 3rd and Capitol resulted in ugly, gaping pits in our city’s urban fabric. Projects like the 700/800 block, bogged down by unexpected resistance and a poor economy, sit languishing, waiting for a better plan to appear. Projects that encourage the demolition of landmarks encourage speculators to allow their historic downtown properties to sit vacant, deteriorating for years or even decades, with the hope of an eventual skyscraper-shaped payoff that may never arrive. More forward-thinking developers could turn the same buildings into Sacramento's urban showpieces.

No developer or investor has been named by the city to actually build this project or pay for it, and even if a developer and/or investor does arrive, if they want to make significant changes to the plan they would need to complete a new environmental document, making this effort worthless. The sacrifice of one of Sacramento’s irreplaceable historic buildings would be for nothing. And even if the city’s long shot is successful, and a developer does build the project, we will lose a historic landmark and a quarter-block of potentially useful buildings for a six-story parking garage in a neighborhood with many underutilized parking garages.

To give public comment about this issue, contact Jennifer Hageman of the City of Sacramento’s Community Development Department at jhageman@cityofsacramento.org or (916)808-5538. Written comments should be sent to Jennifer Hageman, City of Sacramento Community Development Department, 300 Richards Boulevard, Sacramento, CA 95811. Comments are due before 4:00 PM on July 27, 2009.