A female wood duck was spotted leaving Marshall Park with 11 ducklings in tow Tuesday morning. Mom duck led the babies across I street and then 28th street – in the direction of the pond at nearby McKinley Park.    The troupe travelled in a tight bunch down a street gutter until mom duck hopped the curb. Most of the peeping ducklings then summitted the curb and rejoined mom.   Peeping loudly, the last duckling wandered up and down the gutter several times without finding a way to get up. Following a little encouragement from two humans watching nearby, the duckling finally jumped up the curb and wandered off with mother and siblings.

The Bloc Concert Series has been canceled. Paragary marketing director Callista Wengler confirmed today that the series will not continue. It was scheduled to run the last Saturday of each month through September. The Paragary Restaurant Group organized the and ran the first two concerts to earn money for the Marshall Park Fountain Fund Committee. "We'd love to keep doing it, but it's just really expensive, and the costs were just way more than was expected," Wengler said. "The synergy between the outdoor space and the restaurants makes a great entertainment venue for people." Problems such as a lack of communication and organization began before the concert's debut on May 30, the same

Kings fans proudly received the three newest members of the team Saturday evening at Marshall Park. The park was a festive sight with families and fans clad in purple and white awaiting the arrival of University of Memphis guard Tyreke Evans, Israeli forward Omri Casspi and University of Washington forward Jon Brockman. The players were bestowed with numbered jerseys for the first time since the draft picks were announced. Evans wearing number 13, Casspi with number 18, and Brockman number 40. Season ticket holder Joseph Smith expressed his admiration for the Kings and the Maloof brothers for bringing the community and families together at such an event. "It keeps us going as a family,

Tonight's Neighborhood Advisory Group meeting could flare up over ongoing conflicts between two opposing groups. At the same time, Marshall Park neighbors and other residents will look to the city for answers after violence broke out outside J Street bars and outdoor concerts were held over the weekend without notice to residents, just weeks after controversial Midfest and Cinco de Mayo events. The two groups -- organized neighborhood association members and business interests -- have tried in the past to work out differences involving the neighborhood impacts of a block of J Street bars and restaurants. More problems and concerns arose over special events held in the area in May. Now a

Many folks were breathing easier Monday after back-to-back events over the weekend in Marshall Park seemed to go off without a hitch. No significant problems were reported, said Sacramento Police Sgt. Norm Leong, the department's spokesman. Neighbors surrounding the park praised the way the Bloc Concert Series' Saturday concert and Sunday's Midfest Summer Celebration were managed by the city and organizers. Paragary Restaurant Group and Lomeli Events managed Saturday's events, while Midtown Business Association (MBA) and T & M Organization for the Arts managed Sunday's. The vibe from Sunday's festival got a special thumbs-up from residents. The park at 915 27th St. came alive with a thr

Despite resident complaints from previous festivals, last-minute scrambling for permits, and tow-away zones on almost every residential street surrounding, Midfest 2009 turned out to be a success. The free two-day festival, held at Midtown’s Marshall Park, was a collision of art, food and entertainment and offered entertainment for all ages. “[Midfest] was held in a great location and wasn’t too crowded. I really like that it went on the whole weekend and there were so many different types of entertainment for everyone,” said Nikki Carlson, a stylist from Land Park’s Artisan Salon who attended Midfest. The festival was sponsored by the Midtown Business Association, who manned many of th

Midfest is happening this weekend after organizers won two permits early Friday afternoon, less than 24 hours before the event is scheduled to begin. But Sacramento city staff notified organizers that city employees will be on the lookout for code violations after neighborhood residents complained that a previous event wasn't adequately managed. The Bloc Concert Series permit was awarded to Paragary Restaurant Group for the festivities being held in Marshall Park, 915 27th St., from noon to 8 p.m. Saturday. A separate permit was issued to the Midtown Business Association (MBA) and T & M Organization for the Arts for Sunday's Midfest Summer Celebration at the park. In the final hours bef

With just days before Midfest is supposed to happen, organizers were still scrambling Wednesday to untangle a mess and meet city requirements for the special events permit. Three days gives enough time to win a permit for the festival being billed as Midfest Summer Celebration in Marshall Park. But after being stung by criticism over its handling of a large Cinco de Mayo event, the city warned organizers Wednesday there's still a chance the event won't happen Saturday and Sunday, said the city and organizers. "The event cannot go on until the permit is issued," said Hindolo Brima, spokesperson for the city's parks and recreation department. "Since this is the next major event after Cinc

Neighbors’ concerns about the Midfest Summer Celebration and the recent Cinco de Mayo street party appear to be encouraging the city and organizers to take extra precautions to ensure fewer headaches for residents. Meanwhile, Midfest organizers are still trying to get a permit to host the new event in Marshall Park next weekend. Midfest is launching a series of Saturday concerts in the park at 915 27th St. (I and 27th streets), across from a block of bars and restaurants. A special events permit has not yet been issued to Midfest's organizers, Midtown Business Association (MBA) and T & M Organization for the Arts, said Hindolo Brima, spokesperson for the city Department of Parks and Rec

Special events like the Midfest Summer Celebration must meet general guidelines available on the city Department of Parks and Recreation website. Applicants are required to notify residents at least seven days before the event. Sending out a team to notify people at their homes or leave information on doorsteps and doorknobs is OK, said Hindolo Brima, spokesperson for the city Department of Parks and Recreation. Residents must be notified in the most heavily impacted areas, which are determined based on how loud the event is expected to be and what kind of parking issues and restrictions there will be, he added. For this event, the residents who have to be notified live in the area betwe

Some Midtown residents are a little pissed to hear last-minute news that another big festival is coming on the heels of a Cinco de Mayo event that didn’t go as well as hoped – and that more are coming. At a Neighborhood Advisory Group meeting Monday night, Marshall Park residents and others living nearby expressed frustration they were kept out of the loop on “Midfest 2009,” an event scheduled to be held at Marshall Park on Saturday, May 30, and Sunday, May 31. They were notified Saturday by a Midtown Business Association (MBA) team going door-to-door announcing that the event will be happening just a few weeks after neighboring businesses held the first big Cinco de Mayo festival in the