Not everyone has this coming Monday off (alas!) but for those that do, Sacramento has a few options for using your day off to celebrate the man it honors—Martin Luther King, Jr. MLK365 is presenting the 31st Annual March for the Dream, which includes a peaceful march (choose to begin from the Oak Park Community Center, Grant High School, or Sacramento City College) that convenes on the Sacramento Convention Center for an afternoon of celebration. There will be something for all ages and interests—vendor booths, kids’ crafts & activities, entertainment, an art village featuring local artists, and more. The Crocker Art Museum is opening their doors for their free Holiday Monday program. Mo

Sacramento Municipal Utility District offices will be closed on Monday, January 17, 2011 in observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. The following regular business hours will resume on Tuesday, January 18: Residential customer phone service 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. 1 -888-742-SMUD (7683) Commercial customer phone service 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 1-877-622-SMUD (7683) Customer lobby service 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Customer Service Center 6301 S St., Sacramento Business offices 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. SMUD’s 24-hour electric outage number, 1-888-456-SMUD (7683) will continue operating throughout the holiday. If power goes out, customers should notify SMUD immediately. In the event of an electrical proble

AS THE HOLIDAYS DRAW EVER CLOSER, I'M SURE I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE TRYING TO STRETCH A BUCK AS FAR AS IT WILL GO,... That's why GrubCrawlUSA.com  is Ho, Ho, Happy to announce their partnership with Groupon.com and over 15 area restaurants for four (4) upcoming events in the Sacramento region.  With today's deal you get 1 ticket to a social dining event with GrubCrawl Sacramento for half off. As crawlers hop from restaurant to restaurant over the course of a night, either on foot or by pedicab (for a small extra fee), their tummies fill with free food and discount drinks from eateries and bars like Tamaya Sushi, TexMex, Aura, Morgans Bistro @ the Sheraton Grand, Vive, Shenanigans, Table 260,

On Aug. 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. proclaimed to the world, "I have a dream...” His speech was given at the Lincoln Memorial after a quarter million people concluded the March on Washington, which became the largest demonstration for human rights of its time. Martin Luther King, a reverend, scholar and civil rights activist, practiced non-violence and civil disobedience to help change the existence of racial inequalities. During his life he was recognized by being the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, at age 35, but is predominantly known for his leadership in demonstrations and non-violent protests that challenge racial segregation and racial discriminatio

STC Presents a special staged reading of  one of the country's most cherished playwrights. Battling themes of immigration and discrimination while in search for a lasting and true identity, the characters of "Joe Turner's Come and Gone" cross paths at a Pittsburgh boarding house where their journies are exposed and questioned as they embrace their deeper ancestral connections and work to transcend the trials of slavery and exploitation in an evolving America. "Set in 1911, and the second in the series of Mr. Wilson’s 10-play cycle of the African-American journey through the 20th century, “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” is about nothing less than the migration and dispersal of a race and c

In my previous article, I introduced the annual Martin Luther King, Jr, Day of Service. This year, people all over the country took part in more than 12,000 service projects that were organized locally by your friends and neighbors. As for my part, I spent the day the way I'd like to spend any holiday: outside in nature. Only this time I did it with a trash bag in hand. I joined a great group of people and cleaned up the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area wetlands. You know, that area next to the causeway that’s flooded with water and teeming with migratory birds during the winter months. I often see the birds from the freeway, but was unaware of how accessible the area is to visitors. All you hav

On Monday, Martin Luther King Day, thousands marched from Oak Park to the Sacramento Convention Center as part of MLK365.org's "The Dream is Now" celebration. Police blocked off the streets for the marchers, led by a number of Martin-Luther-King-themed floats. Monday also marked the eve of President Barack Obama's inauguration, and the celebration seemed to have a dual role. Many were celebrating King's life, and at the same time paying a tribute to future President Obama, who as the first African American in the highest office of the United States, is already an historic President. The march proceeded across Sutterville Rd. to Freeport Blvd. and on to downtown. Once in the Convention Ce

"A day on, not a day off" There seems to be no shortage of bad news these days. From local and national budget crises to home foreclosures and job loss, our country and communities are falling on hard times. But we here in the central valley do have one reason to smile. While the rest of the country is experiencing record-cold winters, we have sunny skies and warm days. Spring seems to have come early to Sacramento. Tomorrow is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, which means no mail, no school, and, for many of us, no work. But did you know MLK Day is also a national day of service? We have holidays that celebrate our country, our families, and the past and present service of our military, but