A new bookstore concept is coming to Midtown. Entrepreneur Kevin Standfield and a partner are turning a former office space into a used bookstore and wine bar at 1330 21st St. The establishment will also sell cheese, beer, dessert and coffee. "My two favorite things in the world are to sip port and read a book," Standfield said. "I like the idea of our customers being able to sit down and hang out and read a book." To come up with a name, Standfield stuck with a theme he likes. He's calling it Book Monkey, like the Yogurt Monkey shop he and a partner opened on Fair Oaks Boulevard. "I'm in a monkey thing right now. I don't know why," he said. Boxes of books sat under plastic Wednesday

 "A university town is only as strong as its independent bookstores.  They assist in the exchange of intellectual thoughts." - Kim Tanzer                 "The independent bookstore - you know we're almost dinosaurs." - Carl Kroch                It was a beautiful morning.  My girlfriend Jess and I decided to take a bike ride around the neighborhood.  We didn't have any particular place to go, so we went down to Butch and Nellie's, our local coffee shop, to grab a cup of joe and discuss the nature of our ride.  My first thought was the California Railroad Museum, but the little woman wasn't feeling that.  Thus ended the charade that our ultimate destination would be anything besides lunc

Posted by livin.life My oldest daughter is looking to buy her first car. A couple of weeks ago someone told me there is an upcoming police auto auction. Is this true? If so, when and where are the police auto auctions held? How much is the minimum amount of money a person should have to purchase a vehicle? I just ran across this site - wow! - this is interesting! Thanks for your help. Dear livin.life, I spoke to our fleet manager who handles our police vehicles, both marked and unmarked. The Sacramento Police Department has a contract with the city who leases these vehicles. When the police department is finished with the cars, they are usually too beat up to sell.  We drive them an

The wall of a Midtown restaurant soon will soon become a fresh canvas for a Sacramento muralist. Hot Italian and the Arts & Business Council of Sacramento have put out a call for artists to submit mural proposals with modern Italian themes. The winning artist will be paid $1,000, plus $500 in restaurant certificates, to design and install an 8-foot by 3-foot mural for the eatery's main dining room. The space was intended to hold a bicycle. But the restaurant's owners, Andrea Lepore and Fabrizio Cercatore, want to open it up to local artists instead and decided to hold a contest to choose the design, Lepore said. "It's really open to anyone," she said. "It could be any medium: photograph

 Last night something happened that no one thought possible. Ok, maybe a couple of people thought there was a chance. While not as long lasting as the Curse of the Billy Goat or the Curse of the Bambino, the Curse of Giovanni Crotti was starting to cause nightmares. Giovanni Crotti has been playing adult league dodgeball longer than most in Sacramento, having participated in leagues in Portland, Oregon prior to XOSO's beginning in Sacramento. As XOSO has grown from 50 dodgeballers to hundreds, Giovanni has maintained his hold as one of the top players in the league, yet a championship title remained illusive. Giovanni was rivaling Jim Kelly with a streak of playing in five championship

Sacramento, CA - Last night featured some epic showdowns to decide the Winter 2010 Wednesday night dodgeball champion. From the start of the season, Money Shot and DUI almost seemed destined to meet in the championship round. In the end, that's what happened. The night began with DUI squaring up against More Balls than Brains, one of the best #8 seeds XOSO has had to date. The first few games traded off, with DUI taking a 2-1 edge. Then, with each game coming down to a couple players, DUI found a way to win each one, prevailing 7-1 in the match. D3: The Mighty Drunks faced off against Beans and Rice, and took a commanding lead before relaxing, saving their arms for the #1 seed, DUI. Mo

Posted by JamesIsNot Happy Hello Officer Michelle, At the moment I’m not very happy; my home was burglarized last week. This week I’ve been busy implementing a number of new security measures, one of which is a very prominent “No Solicitors” sign. A solicitor just came to my door, and I accosted him about the sign. After a bit of verbal sparring, he responded with “I’m going to F*ck you up, and there is nothing you can do about it because my lawyer is bigger than your!”. I immediately called 911, was this the correct thing to do? The 911 dispatcher did nothing becuase the soliciter fled the scene. Is there anything I can do about this? I have flyer he was passing out that contains a c

On Friday, February 26, First United Methodist Church welcomed in seventy five people for the very first “deep well” experience. The group was eclectic in age, culture and circumstance but the common bond was a willingness to dive deep into a spiritual journey through the season of Lent.  Pastor Kathi McShane described it, "We're seeing Deep Well as a pause just in between the end of the work week and the weekend, for everyone who feels like they're pouring themselves out into whatever work they're doing--whether it's public service, non-profit, volunteer service, parenting--whatever. The music, the silence, the opportunity to reflect deeply, should feel like a long drink of cool water, s

 Last night wrapped up another fun XOSO coed volleyball season! Thanks to everyone who played and made it so successful. We had two championship match ups last night. In the Bumper division, Serves You Right squared off against Block Party to settle, once and for all, who was the better team. Earlier in the season, Serves You Right won two out of three matches against the second seed Block Party. Last night, Block Party raced to early leads in the first two games but Serves You Right battled back to win them both in thrilling fashion. The second game was as close as you can get with Serves You Right clinching the championship. In the Spiker division, Spiked Punch was going for a repeat

Posted by DCaroll I had a Lexus a few years ago and the prior owner had tinted the front driver and passenger windows. My wife was pulled over while driving the car and was cited for the tinted windows. The ticket forced us to remove the tint and have an officer sign off. Ignoring it, I was told, would prevent us from registering the car. Has this law been changed? The reason I ask is because it seems every 5th car I see today has dark tinted front windows. I was next to a Corvette the other day in bright daylight and I couldn’t even see the outline of a driver, let alone if there was an actual person in there. How do they get away with it? Dear DCaroll, California Vehicle Code

Sacramento's Beer Week is in full swing. Bars and restaurants all over the city are celebrating by offering special dinners, drinks and events. Mulvaney's Building and Loan hosted its Pigs-n-Pints event Tuesday evening. Guests were treated to a delicious five-course meal, family style, in the events room at the corner of 19th and L Streets. The packed room of men and women came from all over the Sacramento region. Business professionals, civic leaders and students all sampled the beer and food. The meal was prepared under the watchful eye of owner Patrick Mulvaney with the entire kitchen crew pitching in. The first course consisted of fresh asparagus with country ham and Vega farm eggs

Hello Officer Michelle, My concern is about a neighbor across the street. I frequently see him outside on his driveway, drinking beer and playing loud music with friends. I’m not shy to ask them to lower the volume and most times they comply. The issue I want to address is that they drive to the liquor store to get more alcohol when I know fully well that they have exceeded the legal alcohol limit based on the number of empty cans that strewn the driveway. Is this something I should report to the police? If so, how would I go about reporting a drunk driver if I do not know their location after they drive away from their home and when they return in only 15 minutes? Dear Cogsboy, Curren

United State Clothing, a Sacramento-based, hip hop-inspired clothing vendor, opened its doors at a new location Saturday. Workers finished the move from 1014 24th St. to 2318 J St. with a grand opening celebration Saturday, and an in-store signing with legendary Oakland rapper Del The Funky Homosapien Sunday. Store owner Paul Brizuela said he could not be happier about the move. "Our previous neighbors did not want the kind of music events we support," Brizuela said, "and J Street is a lot easier for our customers to remember than 24th." United State is an alternative clothing source for men and women, carrying brands that are usually only found online or in the hip hop fashion Meccas o

Eat from 20 of Sacramento's downtown restaurants with the purchase of one ticket supporting a 10-year-old boy fighting secondary cancer. The For Ben Food Crawl is from 2 to 5 p.m. on Feb. 28.  Each restaurant will have  drink specials, a taste of their food, and tons of great people exploring the grid of Sacramento while supporting Ben and his family. Beating levels while playing Nintendo DS, building cities with Legos, and making people smile are just a few of Ben's talents. But, that is not all he does. Ben has survived a brain tumor two years ago and now is battling secondary cancer in his spine. Intense treatments, intelligent doctors, unlimited prayers, and his close family and frie

Posted by R.G. Angel Dear Officer Michelle, I like to sleep with the windows slightly open in my room to allow fresh air in when I am sleeping. However, on garbage and recycle collection nights, I have been woken by the sounds of someone going through the recycle cans and collecting the cans and glass bottles. I am wondering if there is someone I can call to report this or someway to have this issue looked into to. Thanks, ~Angel Dear R.G. Angel, This is a common problem. If you live in the city limits, you can call the Police Department’s non-emergency number at 264-5471 and request an officer be dispatched. There is an ordinance that makes it illegal to rummage through recyclables.

Sacramento's restaurants are a clear reflection of the times, with high-end establishments taking a beating and fast food expected to continue to rise in 2010. As the recession continues, top-tier central city restaurants such as 55 Degrees and Masons have closed or begun transforming into more affordable dining. Similarly high-end chains, such as Ruth's Chris Steak House, just outside the central city, and Morton's The Steakhouse, and celebrated local establishments are reported to be in trouble. Casual restaurants have also been seriously hurt by the economy. But fast-food restaurants like McDonald's are expanding and the demand for "fast-casual" restaurant concepts is exploding. "Eve

Later this month the next milestone in the expansion of the Sutter Medical Center in midtown will be the switchover from the existing Energy Center off of 29th Street to the new Energy Center in the basement of Sutter Capitol Pavilion on 28th Street. Demolition of the existing Energy Center is slated to begin later that month with steel expected to rise up for the Anderson Lucchetti Center site later this year

Posted by bended knees i have written to you in the past of my ex husband and his wife drinking/driving /but most of all involving under age kids with their parties . even though cps checked them out my oldest kids are telling me he is still providing alcohol to under 21 . my 19 year old called me last week to let me know she found my 14 yr old son was drinking at a party at his dads house . along with others under age . Dear bended knees, There are several things you can do. It sounds as though there needs to be some long-term solutions to this matter. You can call Child Protective Services again about this problem. If this is still happening, it needs to be revisited. You may also cal

Michelle, I am a single female. I work in the downtown area and take public transportaion. I will also be living alone next month. I read and hear about a lot of crime in the Sacramento area. Sometimes I don’t feel safe. I saw a web-site that sells defense items such as pepper spray, stun guns, knives, Kubatons etc. What is legal to carry on the streets of Sacramento? Do you have any suggestions for a petite female at home and on the streets? Thank you. P.S. I will be on the first floor in an apartment. Alarms and a dog isn’t an option. Thankyou, Gayle Dear Gayle, Understanding the way females are socialized is the first step. Because women are often taught to be polite at an early ag

 Mayor Kevin Johnson talked to residents about local issues including homelessness Monday night. Johnson spoke at a Neighborhood Advisory Group meeting at the Hart Senior Center in Midtown. He told residents about remarks President Barack Obama made in Washington, D.C. last week. During a trip last week to attend the U.S. Conference of Mayors in D.C., Johnson heard Obama make comments on regional economies and sustainability, Johnson said. Obama also stressed the importance of communities in neighborhoods, according to Johnson. Johnson said he learned from Obama’s remarks that local economies need to have a regional focus and that environmental sustainability will be critical to infras