Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "old sacramento"

Railroad Museum Celebrates Black History Month By Exploring the Role of Railroads in African American History on February 18

2012-01-30T19:04:28Z

In celebration of Black History Month, the California State Railroad Museum is proud to present two special guest presentations and book signing opportunities with Professor Theodore Kornweibel, Jr., author of Railroads in the African American Experience: A Photographic Journey. After 30 years of research and work in the field of black history, Kornweibel will share his thoughts and findings during two special illustrated presentations on Saturday, February 18, at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., each to be followed by book signing opportunities.

His photographic book is a captivating, illustrated tour of the black railroad experience from slavery to Amtrak. It includes nearly 200 compelling images, many of which have never before been published. In the book, Kornweibel examines how the history of American railroads is deeply intertwined with African American history. This industry, America’s first “big business,” provided industrial jobs for blacks who were instrumental in the daily operation and success of America’s railroads.

While there is no cost to attend these special presentations, regular Museum admission fees apply. The book Railroads in the African American Experience: A Photographic Journey is also available for purchase in the Museum Store.

In addition, Kornweibel has generously donated his research notes from his book to the Museum which can now be accessed through the Museum Library. For more information about this special presentation, accessing information from the Museum Library or about other activities, events and exhibits on display at the Museum, visit www.californiastaterailroadmuseum.org or call (916) 445-6645.

Special Note: In cooperation with the Museum, there will be an additional opportunity to meet Kornweibel at Underground Books, 2814 35th Street in Sacramento, on Friday evening, February 17, from 6 to 8 p.m. At this venue, guests can talk with Kornweibel informally, purchase his book and have it signed by the author.

About the California State Railroad Museum
Operated by California State Parks with financial assistance from the non-profit California State Railroad Museum Foundation, the California State Railroad Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Widely regarded as North America’s finest and most popular railroad museum, the complex of facilities includes the 100,000-square foot Railroad History Museum plus the reconstructed Central Pacific Railroad Passenger Station and Freight Depot, 1849 Eagle Theatre, and Big Four and Dingley Spice Mill commercial buildings in Old Sacramento. For 24-hour information, visit www.californiastaterailroadmuseum.org or call (916) 445-6645.

Disclosure: Traci Rockefeller Cusack represents a number of businesses and organizations throughout the greater Sacramento area including the California State Railroad Museum.

It's “Singles Night at the Sacramento History Museum!” - February 9!

2012-01-19T17:49:01Z

No Valentine this year? No worries!

Sacramento area singles looking for a fun new way to meet interesting people won’t want to miss the one-night-only “Singles Night at the Sacramento History Museum” in Old Sacramento on Thursday evening, February 9.

The special festivities include tasty appetizers and wine sampling at the Sacramento History Museum starting at 5 p.m., an evening Old Sacramento Underground tour at 5:30 p.m. led by the crowd-favorite Miss Odessa, followed by a fun and friendly museum scavenger hunt. Then, for those who have worked up an appetite, the popular Rio City Café is offering a 15 percent discount on dinner for everyone with a valid “Singles Night at the Sacramento History Museum” event ticket.

Due to the limited availability, advance tickets are highly recommended and can be purchased online at www.HistoricOldSac.org or by calling 916-808-7059. The check-in for the special “Singles Night at the Sacramento History Museum” is at the Sacramento History Museum, 101 I Street in Old Sacramento. Note that all Old Sacramento Underground tour visitors need to be prepared to walk on uneven surfaces in areas that have low ceilings and in occasional small spaces.

The “Singles Night at the Sacramento History Museum” is presented by the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation (HOSF).

About the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation
The Historic Old Sacramento Foundation (HOSF) is a 501(c)3 public benefit corporation. Old Sacramento is a living historic district. The mission of HOSF is to convey the importance of historic Sacramento as a place that connects our past to our present and future through engaging and entertaining events, activities and programs. More information is available at www.historicoldsac.org.

Disclosure: Traci Rockefeller Cusack represents a number of businesses and organizations throughout the greater Sacramento area including the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation.

Call Out for Railroad Museum Volunteers!

2012-01-16T17:29:36Z

Fascinated by railroading history? Interested in working on a train? Enjoy working with visitors, children and school groups? The California State Railroad Museum and Old Sacramento State Historic Park (SHP) are now recruiting adults (18 or older) who are interested in volunteering in early 2012 to help communicate the West’s fascinating heritage of railroading and the California Gold Rush. The volunteer orientation will begin on Saturday, February 25, but interested volunteers must apply and be interviewed in advance. Volunteer applications are being accepted now through Monday, February 6. Community members are encouraged to get involved in this worthwhile program that offers an opportunity to support the local community while learning more about California’s rich history, meeting new people and developing friendships with those who share similar interests.

Anyone who has ever visited the California State Railroad Museum and Old Sacramento SHP has undoubtedly crossed paths with a docent. Dressed in railroad garb or other period attire, these trained volunteers answer questions and discuss history with guests. There are many other volunteers, too. Each year, approximately 600 men and women volunteer for the California State Railroad Museum’s programs -- including weekend steam train operations, track construction, restoration and maintenance, even clerical work. Since the Museum’s 1976 inception, volunteers have contributed more than two million hours of service.

As part of their training, candidates are encouraged to consider participating in one or more Museum programs. For example, volunteers may choose to serve as docents and Museum tour guides; participate in hands-on, interactive educational programs for school groups; or become involved with train operations on the Sacramento Southern Railroad. Volunteer training represents a serious commitment of 84 volunteer hours annually, but the hours are flexible and the rewards can be tremendous.

A background in history is not required. In fact, most of the volunteers began with little knowledge of railroads or the Gold Rush. As they become more familiar with the Museum’s varied and frequent programs, many volunteers take on additional responsibilities, such as conducting research or giving talks to community organizations about the Museum. Perks for active volunteers include free parking while on duty, invitation to an annual Volunteer Recognition Banquet, complimentary Museum membership and the chance to meet new and interesting people.

Interested volunteers are encouraged can download a volunteer application at www.parks.ca.gov/CapitalDistrict or contact the Museum’s Volunteer Training Coordinator at (916) 324-7593.

About the California State Railroad Museum
Operated by California State Parks with financial assistance from the non-profit California State Railroad Museum Foundation, the California State Railroad Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Widely regarded as North America’s finest and most popular railroad museum, the complex of facilities includes the 100,000-square foot Railroad History Museum plus the reconstructed Central Pacific Railroad Passenger Station and Freight Depot, 1849 Eagle Theatre, and Big Four and Dingley Spice Mill commercial buildings in Old Sacramento. For 24-hour information, visit www.californiastaterailroadmuseum.org or call (916) 445-6645.

Disclosure: Traci Rockefeller Cusack represents a number of businesses and organizations throughout the greater Sacramento area including the Capital District Museums and Historic Parks.

Amtrak train stops on I Street Bridge

2012-01-02T05:19:07Z

A west bound Amtrak train suddenly stops on the I Street Bridge on January 1, 2012 at 12:35 p.m. The train was detained for twenty minutes then was pulled back to the Sacramento train station. A few minutes later, the bridge swiveled over to let a Hornblower cruise ship past through.

To see the train being rolled back, click video.

Downtown Sacramento Christmas Lights Photos

2011-12-23T20:57:51Z

It’s that special time of year on Capitol Mall and Old Sacramento, Christmas lights are up inviting people to walk a few blocks and the Capitol Christmas Trees decked out in all its splendor. Over the last several years, it appears as if more lights have gone up to enrich the overall experience as an inviting destination to visit and enjoy. The Wells Fargo Center has done a fantastic job with a beautiful tree in the lobby and twinkling lights inside and out.

Merry Christmas!

Disclosure: Read more at: http://livinginurbansac.blogspot.com/ or http://zwahlenimages.com/blog/

Christmas celebrations, Sacramento-style

2011-12-22T00:43:49Z

As always, Sacramento steps up to the plate with holiday events of all sorts. At Sacramento365.com, we see a lot of events come through the site every day. Though there are myriad options in our Holiday Event section, we've narrowed down the list to 10 to get help you pick your Christmas Eve & Christmas Day festivities.

Christmas Eve Events:
Sure, the night before Christmas should be spent snuggled in bed waiting for Santa Claus, but why not get out and about during the day. Here are some options to keep you entertained around town:

1. Free Admission at Fairytale Town & Sacramento Zoo:
FTT 10am-2pm; Zoo 10am-1:30pm
Treat the kiddies to a day out while both Fairytale Town & the Sacramento Zoo offer free admission to all guests. The Zoo encourages participating in their pajama party, so you needn’t even change

2. Downtown Holiday Ice Rink:
St. Rose of Lima Park, 10am-6pm
Located outdoors near Westfield Downtown Plaza, the Downtown Holiday Ice Rink is the perfect holiday experience for the young and young at heart.

3. It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play:
Capital Stage, 11am
Inspired by the classic American film of the same title, It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play is performed as a 1940s live radio broadcast in front of a studio audience.

4. Holiday Film Screenings: It’s a Wonderful Life:
Crest Theatre, 1:30pm, 4:30pm, & 7:30pm
If you can’t make it to Cap Stage’s live performance (see above), you can still catch the original film rendition live on the big screen at the historic Crest Theatre.

5. Theatre of Lights:
Old Sacramento, 6pm & 7:30pm
A symphony of lights, sounds, and visual effects will take the audience back to a time when the beloved poem "The Night Before Christmas" was first introduced in Sacramento in 1857.

Christmas Day Events:
Looking to entertain friends & family in town after your regular traditions are over? Or just looking to get out of the house after so much family time? Sacramento doesn’t disappoint. Here are a few options for

1. Christmas Brunch:
Hyatt Regency, 10am-3pm
Enjoy this holiday season with all of the trimmings. Join for a bountiful buffet brunch featuring breakfast items and traditional holiday favorites.

2. Christmas Day Supper Cruise:
Empress Hornblower, 3:30pm-6:30pm
Join Hornblower for Christmas Day with your family and celebrate the season with a delicious meal, relax and enjoy the holiday. The Cruise includes traditional holiday dishes, festive music, and beautiful views of the Sacramento River.

3. Bah Humbug!:
MiX Downtown, 8:30pm-2am
Get out from under your tree and continue the holiday partying at this special Sunday Circus night. Spend the evening with your "other" family at Mix Downtown!

4. Christmas with Arden Park Roots:
Harlow’s, 9pm
Join reggae/rock/punk band Arden Park Roots for a festive Christmas show.

5. Asylum:
Barcode Nightclub, 9pm-1:30am
Featuring resident DJ Bryan Hawk, Asylum is a night of the best cutting edge goth, industrial, nu-darkwave, EBM dance music.

Find more detail on these events along with many more at Sacramento365.com, the year-round source for Sacramento events.

Disclosure: Rachael Lankford is the Managing Calendar Editor for Sacramento365.com, the year-round source for Sacramento events.

Windstorm destroys tree, not spirit

2011-12-08T01:06:38Z

A windstorm that destroyed the Christmas tree in Old Sacramento didn’t get the last laugh, as the company that provided the tree worked over several days to replace it out of pocket.

“There is really not a good explanation for what happened to the tree,” said Chris McSwain, district manager for the Old Sacramento Business Association. “The immediate cause is wind damage. I’d say two-thirds to three-fourths of the needles blew off.”

Last weekend’s windstorm might have turned a once-full tree to a skeleton, but that’s when the tree provider, Carlton Christmas Trees from the Redding area, stepped up to replace it.

“They’ve never seen anything like this happen in 40 or 50 years,” McSwain said. “They insisted on replacing it at no additional cost. They even brought people down here to undecorate the old tree and redecorate the new one.”

James Carlton of Carlton Christmas Trees said Wednesday that there was no question of replacing the tree, which sits at 100 K St.

“This is an unprecedented event that was caused because of the storm, and the last thing we wanted to do was see one of our customers deal with something beyond their control and ability to rectify,” he said. “We took it upon ourselves to do everything we could in our power and in a tight time constraint to try to restore it.”

The company, which also supplies trees to Union Square in San Francisco, Jack London Square in Oakland and the Bellagio in Las Vegas, harvests its trees from the area around Mount Shasta.

The first tree was a 60-foot white fir that weighed 7,500 pounds when it was delivered. It cost $13,000 and was paid for by sponsorships from businesses and residents. The new tree, though shorter at 54 feet, still weighs more than 3 tons and is fuller near the top, appearing taller to some, McSwain said.

“It’s bigger than the one at the Capitol, which is around 40 feet, but it’s smaller than the one at the U.S. Capitol, which is about 65 feet,” he added.

Replacing the tree was no small task, Carlton said, adding that all the tree-cutting and hauling equipment had been removed from the mountain, as it was late in the year to be getting large trees in place – something typically done by mid-November.

“We had to first locate a tree, and once we located it, mobilize our equipment to get it up on the mountain, and then we applied a preservative to the tree, and we cut 24 hours after that,” he said. “There’s a lot of logistics that had to occur over a short period of time.”

Workers from Carlton Christmas Trees began removing decorations from the old tree Monday morning, and the new tree arrived on Tuesday morning. They spent Tuesday taking down the old tree and putting up the new one, and Wednesday was spent redecorating the new tree.

“Our goal is to be done by noon (Thursday),” Carlton said Wednesday afternoon.

Video by Chris McSwain

Nick Marks, a 50-year-old Sacramentan who works in fugitive recovery for bail bonds companies, said he thinks the tree company is doing a good job.

“I was here after the storm, and the old tree just looked like it was bent,” he said. “This one’s a lot fuller, and it’s nice that they’re taking care of it for free. It looks really nice.”

The tree is part of the Theatre of Lights show, and Kelsey Leaird, a 23-year-old supervisor at the Steamers bakery and cafe at 101 K St., said it’s important to business.

“It brings in a ton of crowds,” she said, adding that the tree is an important part of the draw.

“The old tree was pretty scraggly after the storm,” she said. “Before, it was a beautiful tree. Unfortunately, we had the huge windstorm, and it fell apart.”

She said the new tree is something to once again be proud of.

“Some people had some ideas to fix the old one, like taking greenery from tree farms and wire-tying it on, but this is a lot better,” she said. “Once the company came out and saw it, they brought a new one in right away.”

McSwain said the unfortunate incident showcased the holiday spirit.

“Carlton is a family-owned business,” he said. “It’s really one of those good business stories about the way businesses really look out for their customers. Some people were calling the old one a ‘Charlie Brown Christmas tree,’ but it’s really about the spirit of Christmas, not the tree. And now we have both.”

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

Time for the Polar Express

2011-12-02T19:27:34Z

It’s Polar Express time again in Old Sacramento.

If you have been anywhere near Old Sacramento lately, you may have been surprised to see children of all ages roaming the streets dressed in their pajamas. It’s the annual running of the Polar Express, in Old Sacramento.

Every year, the volunteer docents of the State Railroad Museum conduct special one-hour train rides from Old Sacramento down the river side tracks to the North Pole. Along the way, songs are sung, hot cocoa is served, and each passenger gets a small gift from Santa. It’s a perennial treat, and with only 19,000 tickets available, they sell out in a few hours. So, even though you can’t get tickets to ride the train, it’s worth a visit to Old Sacramento to see all the kids dressed in jammies.

Christmas lifts off in Old Sacramento - Photos

2011-11-24T06:04:02Z

Over 4,000 of us Christmas enthusiasts crowded together on K St in Old Sac tonight for the third annual Theatre of Lights. Mayor Johnson lit the Christmas tree.

A beautiful 60-foot white fir is poised on Front St near the Delta King Riverboat. Turned on, it's like a chameleon, changing colors and design.Two white-haired gentlemen made an appearance - Mark Twain and, of course, Santa Claus.Twain narrated "Twas the Night Before Christmas" from a balcony of one of the lit up buildings.A chorus comprised of volunteers from Old Sac Living History sang tunes with Father Christmas (above and below).

Over About 50,000 visitors experienced the show last year.

The light show continues through the holidays:

• Friday, Nov. 25-Sunday, Nov. 27, nightly at 6:15 and 7:45

• Thursday, Dec. 1-Sunday, Dec. 4, nightly at 6:15 and 7:45

• Thursday, Dec. 8-Sunday, Dec. 11, nightly at 6:15 and 7:45

• Thursday, Dec. 15-Sunday, Dec. 18, nightly at 6:15 and 7:45

• Monday, Dec. 19-Friday, Dec. 23, nightly at 6:15 and 7:45

• Christmas Eve, Saturday, Dec. 24, one show only at 6:15 p.m.

• New Year's Eve, Saturday, Dec. 31, 8:45 and 9:15 p.m. as part of the Sky Spectacular fireworks show.

For more information CLICK HERE>>>

Railroad Museum to Showcase a “Small Train Holiday” on 11/25 & 26!

2011-11-18T16:43:55Z

Widely known as North America’s most popular railroad museum, the California State Railroad Museum has exciting plans to dazzle, delight and engage post-Thanksgiving visitors with a special “Small Train Holiday” focus on November 25 and 26. Expanded holiday offerings inside the Museum include fun interpretive handcar rides, crowd pleasing scale models and toy train displays, story time with Mrs. Claus, period-appropriate holiday decor and much more.

In addition to these new activities, the “Small Train Holiday” focus includes other fun favorites such as amazing scale models and toy train layouts on display throughout the Museum, a Polar Express model train running on the “Small Wonders” toy train layout, a discovery-filled scavenger hunt and even a whimsical Toy Train movie where the viewer’s eye-level perspective provides a unique experience that explores the magical world of vintage toy trains.

With all the fun and festive activities happening inside the Museum, there’s plenty to do outdoors in Old Sacramento State Historic Park as well. Of course, Santa Claus will be available in the Eagle Theatre from 2:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday for those interested in visiting with him; professional photo opportunities are also available. And, the dazzling Old Sacramento Theatre of Lights will brighten the evening skies with a nightly symphony of lights, sounds and visual effects at 6:15 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. beginning Thursday and continuing through Sunday.

All “Small Train Holiday” activities happening inside the California State Railroad Museum are included with the cost of admission. More information about events, exhibits and activities happening at the California State Railroad Museum is available at www.californiastaterailroadmuseum.org.

Operated by California State Parks with assistance from the nonprofit CSRM Foundation, the California State Railroad Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Widely regarded as North America’s finest and most-visited railroad museum, the complex of facilities includes the 100,000-sq. ft. Railroad History Museum plus the reconstructed Central Pacific Railroad Passenger Station and Freight Depot, 1849 Eagle Theatre, and Big Four and Dingley Spice Mill buildings in Old Sacramento. 24-hour info: (916) 445-6645 or www.californiastaterailroadmuseum.org

Disclosure: Traci Rockefeller Cusack represents a number of businesses and organizations throughout the greater Sacramento area including the Capital District State Museums and Historic Parks.

A walk in Alkali Flat is a step back in time

2011-11-05T03:04:58Z

Alkali Flat is the oldest standing residential neighborhood in Sacramento, with homes and businesses that date back to the early 1850s. The story of Alkali Flat is etched in the constantly shifting cultural and socioeconomic climate and the homes and buildings themselves.

Alkali Flat is nestled between Midtown and downtown. It lies within the boundaries of H Street and North B Street and extends from Seventh to 13th streets.

I have lived in Alakli Flat with my husband for nearly six months. Curious about the history of the buildings that I walk by regularly, I started researching the stories behind the homes and businesses that surround us.

Tom Tolley and James Scott’s book, “Sacramento’s Alkali Flat,” published in 2010, offered me a glimpse into the dynamic history of the neighborhood. I spoke extensively with co-author Tom Tolley about the neighborhood’s past. From this research and expert insight comes this glimpse into the history of Alkali Flat.

“It is a treat and a treasure to have something like the Alkali area so close. The unique architectural style and the number of incredible homes that are all in such close proximity makes it a time capsule worth appreciating,” said Tom Tolley, co-author of, “Sacramento’s Alkali Flat.”

I live in a home built in 1865 in the heart of Alkali Flat. It is a Victorian that has been broken up into apartments. My kitchen table slants downward with the tilt of the floors and the single-pane windows look out on old orange trees and the J. Neely Johnson Mansion, formerly home to the fourth governor of California. When we walk up the stairs in the front of our house, they creak with wear, and the vaulted ceilings are of a different age. Charm and history meet in these homes that tell of a time when our city first began.

When my husband and I first started looking for homes in the Midtown and downtown areas, we knew that we wanted to live close to shops and restaurants, but most of all, we wanted to live in a home with character.

We parked at random in Alkali Flat when we started our apartment search and immediately fell in love with the neighborhood. Within the first weeks of living in Alkali Flat, we met our neighbors, who passionately told us about the long history of the area and pointed to the homes that they occupied that date back to the mid-19th century. It was at that point that we knew that we had made a great decision in moving to Alkali Flat.

Alkali Flat is a neighborhood that reveals a part of Sacramento when it was in its formative years. Named for the alkali residue left when the streets used to flood annually before the re-channeling of the American River, Alkali Flat has been a part of this city from the beginning.

Alkali Flat can claim many of the “firsts” of Sacramento. The first African American Church on the West Coast was established in 1850 in Alkali Flat. The first grocery store in Sacramento was built in 1868 at 10th and E streets. Additionally, the Royal Chicano Air Force, first known as the Royal Chicano Art Front, originated in Alkali Flat in the late 1960s. According to Tolley, 1910 was when the last new residence was built in Alkali Flat, all of which reveals the historical significance of this neighborhood.

From J. Neely Johnson, California’s fourth governor, to the Crockers, this neighborhood grew into a neighborhood of the elite in the mid- to late 1800s. Alkali Flat shined with grand Victorian homes and large hospitals and schools.

Some of the original homes and businesses still stand.

The Llewellyn Williams House at 917 H St. was built in 1882. In 1907, the home was turned into a funeral home, and today it serves as a youth hostel.

A photo of the home as it stood in 1895 can be found here.

The S.H. Farley Grocery Store located on the corner of 12th and F streets was built in 1897. Today it serves as a kickboxing studio with apartments above.

A photo of the grocery store in the early 20th century can be found here.

The J. Neely Johnson Mansion was built in 1854 at 1029 F St. and was home to California’s fourth governor. According to Tolley and his co-author, James Scott, the J. Neely Johnson mansion is one of “Alkali’s best-known and oldest-standing structures, built in the Greek Revival style.” Resurgence of classic Greek architecture is termed as the Greek Revival style and was popular in the 19th century.

In 1856, the Isaac Martin Hubbard House was built at 1010 F St. According to “Sacramento’s Alkali Flat,” the home is often called “the castle.” Issac Hubbard and his father were responsible for building the first railroad bridge across the American River, and Hubbard was instrumental in creating America’s first transcontinental telegraph. “The Castle” now serves as law offices.

A walk through the streets of Alkali Flat reveals the beautiful old homes that still stand.

With the rise of the Central Pacific Railroad in the mid-1880s, later the Southern Pacific Railroad, the neighborhood became increasingly industrial.

In the late 19th century, the railroad and Ruhstaller’s brewery were the growing industries in Alkali Flat, Tolley said. By the 20th century Crystal Cream and Butter Co. and Globe Mills were the main industries in the area. Other businesses also started to emerge, such as the Porter-Sprague auto-body business in 1917 and a machine shop in 1925.

With the growing industrialization of Alkali Flat, many of the elite moved out, and the mansions they used to occupy were divided into apartments for the working class. There was an increasing number of Mexican-Americans moving into the neighborhood as well as Irish immigrants.

“By the time the depression hit, the homes were old and needed much repair, but the industries surrounding the area and the close proximity to downtown made for cheap rent,” Tolley said.

Businesses continued to move into the area despite economic hardships. In 1932, Burnett & Sons Lumber Co. opened at 214 11th St., and Yerby Brake Supplies opened in 1949, according to Tolley.

By the 1950s, a spirited Mexican-American community had developed in the neighborhood. In 1969, the Royal Chicano Air Force became one of Alkali Flat’s most dominant and influential groups.

The homes aged, and the neighborhood was in need of restoration from the decades that had passed since the homes had been built.

“By the time the 1970s rolled around, the area was in need of much repair. There were larger numbers of drug houses and gangs, but people came in and started renovating and preserving the homes,” Tolley said.

In 1972, the City Council adopted a redevelopment plan for Alkali Flat. According to the The Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency, between the years 2000 and 2009, $60 million in private and public funding was invested in the neighborhood in an effort to restore its charm and rebuild a sense of safety for locals.

Today, many of the homes have been resuscitated, and preservationists have restored much of the neighborhood to its original grandeur. Alkali Flat remains a place with mixed socioeconomic classes and racial diversity, just as it has been characterized by from the beginning.

Since moving to Alkali Flat, I have learned that the complexities of the neighborhood’s past are extensive. The homes and businesses that remain in the neighborhood tell the story of Sacramento in its early days. The dairies have ceased to exist and railroad workers are no longer the majority of neighborhood’s occupants but the structures that remain from long ago offer a glimpse back in time while the neighborhood continues to develop and change.

Local historian Burg appointed to Sacramento Heritage board

2011-10-18T04:03:49Z

Local historian, author and preservation buff William Burg was appointed Tuesday to the Sacramento Heritage, Inc. Board of Directors – an organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the rich history of Sacramento.

It comes as no surprise that Burg should be interested in the position: With three published local history books under his belt, a degree in public history from Sacramento State and years on the boards of both the Sacramento County Historical Society and the Sacramento Old City Association – history is what Burg is all about.

“Public history is for historians who do things other than teach,” Burg said Monday. “It’s for historians working in museums, archivists – anyone interested in the field of historic preservation.”

Sacramento Heritage provides grants and loans to historic properties, conducts historic property surveys and has produced walking tour brochures of many of the city’s historic districts.

Burg said that he wanted to join the Sacramento Heritage Board of Directors because the organization works directly with the city to promote what he refers to as “heritage tourism” – tourism based on the history of a city more than on the entertainment or recreation possibilities.

“Heritage tourism is really important,” Burg said. “Cities with a rich heritage tourism program are beneficial to the local economy.”

Burg said heritage tourists typically stay longer and spend more money in a community than the average tourist.

Heritage tourism can be a big draw to a city, Burg said – if people know what a city has to offer.

“People who want to explore (this) city’s history will usually go to Old Sacramento,” Burg said, “but (they) may not go past I-5 and just don’t know that there are interesting older neighborhoods in the city.”

Another reason for joining the Sacramento Heritage Board of Directors, Burg said, is that he wants to be a part of the work that it does promoting adaptive reuse for old city buildings.

Essentially, instead of using “virgin” resources in construction, adaptive reuse makes the most of what is already there, creating more efficient redevelopment of old buildings.

“Fixing up old buildings creates more jobs per dollar than building new buildings,” Burg said.

According to Burg, in new building construction projects, materials account for half of the cost, and labor accounts for the other half.

In adaptive reuse, the division of cost shifts to two-thirds for labor and only one-third for materials – that means more jobs in the community and a more positive economic effect, Burg said.

“We do have a lot of valuable resources in the city that (are) worth showing to people, and people want to see (them),” Burg said. “These are proven ways to increase jobs and boost our economy.”

Peter Keat, owner of Time Tested Books on 21st Street in Sacramento, has known Burg for more than a decade – some of that time as customer, other times as an author discussing his books on Sacramento history – and Time Tested carries copies of Burg’s books.

“He will be an excellent addition to the (Sacramento Heritage) board,” Keat said. “He is very knowledgeable and well-informed about the history of Sacramento.”

Burg published his first Sacramento history book, “Sacramento’s Streetcars,” in July 2006.

He followed “Streetcars” with two more books, “Sacramento’s Southside Park” in September 2007, and “Sacramento: Then and Now” in September 2008.

Keat said Burg has participated in the store’s monthly Living Library presentations, most recently discussing architecture in the city dating up to the 1930s.

The Living Library is a series of discussions and presentations featuring local artists, historians, writers and other commentators on culture in Sacramento.

“(Burg) will work well in the team environment of a board,” Keat said. “He is very easy to work with.”

According to Katia Ligaiviu, deputy city clerk, Sacramento Heritage and its nine-member board of directors were established by a City Council resolution in 1975. It was established as a 501(c)3 nonprofit to implement a yearly program that would provide for the preservation of architecturally and historically significant buildings in Sacramento.

Roberta Deering, senior planner with the Community Development Department, said Monday that, most notably, Sacramento Heritage established an official Historic Properties Plaque program and two new walking tours for the downtown area, “with more coming in other areas of the central city soon.”

The historic plaque program is designed to officially recognize designated historic homes and landmarks within the city of Sacramento.

Burg is replacing previous board member Marc De La Vergne, who maxed out his term and vacated the position in November 2010.

The Sacramento Heritage board meets monthly, and there is no compensation for any position on the board. Burg’s first meeting as a Sacramento Heritage director will be in November.

Melissa Corker is a Staff Reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MeissaCorker.

Costume shop continues to see strong sales

2011-10-11T01:15:09Z

As about 40 customers browsed Halloween costumes on the second floor of Old Sacramento’s Evangeline’s Costume Mansion Monday, Manager Jen Kossmann remarked that business was slow, as the rain kept people at home.

Costumes for adults have grown in popularity over the past five years, and Kossmann said this year was no exception, with the store expanding its costume mansion opening hours from as early as February. Traditionally, the costume mansion opens around August.

“We’ve just been really busy, and we normally only open (the costume shop) to escort people up in the off season,” Kossmann said. “This year, we had so many people going up there, it just made sense to open it all the time.”

The staff does not track exactly how many costumes are sold – a daunting prospect given that some people piece costumes together, some buy complete sets and others might just buy an accessory – but Kossmann said a rough guess is that the number is “in the tens of thousands.”

The ground floor of the store contains gifts, games and toys, while the second and third floors house the costume mansion and are accessed by an elevator or stairs.

October is the shop’s busiest month, and approximately 75 temporary employees were hired to augment the regular staff of 30 to 40. Extended hours mean the store is now open from 10 a.m. - 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 a.m. - 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Selling well this year are costumes related to TV shows and movies, as well as a few older ones that have surged for other reasons.

“Stewardess uniforms are really popular this year,” Kossmann said, noting that the TV show “Pan Am,” which features flight attendants, is doing well.

Other favorite costumes this year include zombies, medieval-themed costumes and even a mask modeled after the mobile game “Angry Birds.”

“Gypsy costumes are also really popular this year,” Kossmann said. “I don’t know any real reason for it other than that we have a lot of really cute gypsy costumes this year.”

Despite what might be popular, Kossmann advised those seeking costumes to come in without a set idea of what they want to be and let something in the store inspire them.

“You can get a lab coat for $15 or $20 and maybe add a stethoscope to it for a good costume that’s really cheap, or you can go all out and really customize something,” she said.

She added that people can make zombie costumes as easily as tearing up clothes they already have and then applying makeup.

“Makeup really is what makes a zombie costume,” she said. “There are lots of great videos on YouTube that show you how to do the makeup.”

Lauren Gregory, a 20-year-old Sacramentan, browsed the store Monday trying to decide what she will be for Halloween.

“I have no idea yet,” she said. “I wanted to come here because I read online that it’s haunted and used to be a brothel, and I like that kind of creepy history.”

Kossmann said the upper floors of the Gold Rush-era building were used as a boarding house for a long time and did serve as a brothel-type business at one point.

As far as hauntings, she said she has not personally seen any evidence, but some employees have.

“It’s things like stuff falling or lights going on or off that shouldn’t, or hearing something upstairs when you know you’re the only one there,” she said.

Gregory’s friend, 20-year-old Lisa Jones of Sacramento, said she plans to dress up as a biker.

“I don’t like to do the really girly things for a costume,” she said. “They have a really great selection here.”

Brothers Robert and Max Hernandez, 27 and 30, came up from Stockton to visit the shop because of the selection and the setting – Old Sacramento.

“They’ve got a lot more stuff for the ladies, but it’s a really good shop,” Robert Hernandez said as he perused a wall of pirate costumes.

Max Hernandez added that he comes to Evangeline’s every year.

“The selection is a lot better here than in Stockton,” he said, adding that he will be dressing up as Joker from “Batman.”

Kossmann said shipments are still coming in, and if shoppers don’t see what they want, they should ask.

“We have two floors of inventory, and there’s a lot packed into it,” she said.

Evangeline’s Costume Mansion is located at 113 K St.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

Sac World Fest

2011-10-05T09:50:40Z

The Sac World Fest was celebrated with various modern and classical dances from around the world in Old Sacramento on Sunday, October 2. Continuous dancing, singing and performances were scheduled throughout the day on five stages on Front Street.

Several dozen vendors and informational stations were set up, as was a children’s craft area. Performances ran from 10 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon and featured music and performances as diverse as the residents that live in Sacramento.

This is the fourth year that Sacramento World Music and Dance Festival has been held and it continues to attract residents and visitors from Northern California. Several thousand visitors were able to enjoy the many sights and sounds of the festival as well as the many dishes served through the streets of Old Sacramento.

The annual multicultural event features performers from across our region and emphasizes the many ethnic traditions the Sacramento community has to showcase. The festival brings the music and cultural world to Sacramento as musicians, dancers and other performers present their culture to Sacramento.

The festival continues to be a free event that can be enjoyed by everyone in the family. Live world-class music, dance and entertainment are brought to Sacramento audiences every year.

This year the festival began on Saturday night. East Indian dance and music was featured at the festival’s main stage in Old Sacramento.

There were too many acts to list but a listing of performers can be found at the Sacramento World Fest website. I did catch the Ballet Folklórico IMBA, JODAMA Drum & Dance and Cave Women on the Passenger Station Stage that was located at Front and I Streets.

A fashion show and several demonstrations took place under the Global Village tent and the Old Eagle Theater. Although I was not able to visit more than a handful of performances, it helped that most of the stages were close together, making it easier to view as many of the acts as possible.

A sample of some of the Global Village performances can be seen in the photos below. The Ohana Dance Group, a fashion show and Bolivia de Corazón performed at the Global Village.

At the Eagle Theater I was able to watch a Romanian performance, music by Clemon Charles as well as the Samba de Terra Brazilian dance group.

Below is a sample of the Henna & Kohl Belly Dance Co. and Samba da Terra who performed at the Waterfront Stage.

The amount and variety of performers filled the streets of Old Sacramento to the delight of thousands. Many of the performers also stayed to enjoy international acts. Families and friends not only enjoyed a diversity of world sounds and sights but they also shared their cultural memories with others.

The event was well attended and it was a great experience for both performers and audience. The Sacramento World Festival had a perfect description of the event.

“Travel to an exotic location without leaving town and feast your eyes, your heart and your mind.”

The event indeed was quite a feast.

Above Ground Walking Tours in Old Sac Extended Thru October!

2011-10-03T20:24:49Z

Due to continued public interest in “above ground” walking tours, the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation has extended the touring season to include two educational yet entertaining tours each weekend through October.   On Saturday at
1 p.m., the Sacramento City: California’s Gold Rush Legacy Tour is offered. Then on Sunday at 1 p.m., the From Canvas to Brick: Old Sacramento Architectural Tour is available.

For the Gold Rush Legacy Tours, docents in historically appropriate attire take guests on a journey back to the 1850s using original and reconstructed Gold Rush-era buildings as a compelling backdrop to describe what the town was like during that fascinating period in California’s history.

For the Old Sacramento Architectural Tours, guests are guided through Old Sacramento to see how the architecture of the buildings silently but assuredly reflects the compelling history of how Sacramento was transformed from a water-logged tent city -- with floods, fires and the Gold Rush along the way -- to a firmly established city and the state’s capital.

These Old Sacramento walking tours last approximately one hour in length and guests are encouraged to wear comfortable shoes and be prepared to walk on uneven surfaces. Walking tours begin and end at the Sacramento History Museum located at 101 I Street in Old Sacramento.   Above ground walking tours cost $7 for adults and $5 for youths, and can be purchased in advance at www.historicoldsac.org or in person the day of the walking tour (if space is available).

The above ground and underground tour programs are coordinated by the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation (HOSF) and in partnership with the City of Sacramento, California State Parks, Old Sacramento Business Association and participating merchants and businesses.

About the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation
The Historic Old Sacramento Foundation (HOSF) is a 501(c)3 public benefit corporation. Old Sacramento is a living historic district.   The mission of HOSF is to convey the importance of historic Sacramento as a place that connects our past to our present and future through engaging and entertaining events, activities and programs. More information is available at www.historicoldsac.org or by calling 916-808-7059.

Disclosure: Traci Rockefeller Cusack represents a number of businesses and organizations throughout the greater Sacramento area including the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation.

Old Sac Underground Adds Adult-Only "Date Night" Tours!

2011-09-20T21:21:44Z

Well into its second full season, the popular Old Sacramento Underground tour program is now redefining “Date Night” with special adult-only evening tours being offered for a limited time. In fact, six special “Date Night” underground tours are available on the following evenings departing at 6 p.m.: 9/29, 9/30, 10/6, 10/7, 10/13 and 10/14. Available for guests ages 18 and over, the special “Date Night” Underground Tours last approximately 90 minutes and will include tales of devastation, perseverance, and determination that led to California’s only successful street-raising project, but will also include lots of shady stories and decidedly adult tales about colorful characters from Sacramento’s past.

In addition, two of Old Sacramento’s most popular restaurants are offering dining discounts for interested “Date Night” underground tour participants. The special evening tours will end at Ten22 Restaurant on Thursdays and at Fat City on Fridays.

Due to the limited availability, advance reservations are strongly encouraged for the “Date Night” underground tours as they are expected to sell out quickly. The check-in for all underground tours is located at the Sacramento History Museum, 101 I Street in Old Sacramento. Advance tickets can be purchased online at www.HistoricOldSacramento.org or by calling 916-808-7059. If available, tickets can be purchased at the door on the day of the tour with cash or check only (no credit card transactions can be made at the door). “Date Night” tours are for adults ages 18 and over only (no exceptions). Underground visitors will need to be prepared to walk on uneven surfaces in areas that have low ceilings and in occasional small spaces.

The Old Sacramento Underground tour program is coordinated by the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation (HOSF) and in partnership with the City of Sacramento, California State Parks, Old Sacramento Business Association and participating merchants and businesses.

Disclosure: Traci Rockefeller Cusack represents a number of businesses and organizations throughout the greater Sacramento area including the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation.

“Spookomotive” Train to Haunt Old Sacramento in October

2011-09-15T21:13:07Z

All aboard for Halloween fun! For three weekends beginning in mid-October, the California State Railroad Museum will once again offer engaging and entertaining rides aboard its popular “Spookomotive” train this fall season. “Spookomotive” trains operate Saturdays and Sundays beginning the weekend of October 15-16 and continuing the weekends of October 22-23 and October 29-30.

For these three weekends only, “Spookomotive” trains depart on-the-hour from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., departing at the Central Pacific Railroad Freight Depot at Front and “K” Streets in Old Sacramento. The diesel-powered “Spookomotive” pulls the whimsically decorated train, crawling with spiders, cobwebs and cornstalks and staffed by a “skeleton crew.” Visitors are encouraged to climb aboard for a fun-filled, 40-minute, six-mile roundtrip ride along the Sacramento River.

In addition to “Spookomotive” train rides, Old Sacramento will be crawling with other activities during October including Ghost Tours and trick-or-treating. For more information about Old Sacramento activities, visit www.oldsacramento.com. For more about “Spookomotive” train rides or other California State Railroad Museum events and activities, visit www.californiastaterailroadmuseum.org or call (916) 445-6645.

About the California State Railroad Museum
Operated by California State Parks with financial assistance from the non-profit California State Railroad Museum Foundation, the California State Railroad Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Widely regarded as North America’s finest and most popular railroad museum, the complex of facilities includes the 100,000-square foot Railroad History Museum plus the reconstructed Central Pacific Railroad Passenger Station and Freight Depot, 1849 Eagle Theatre, and Big Four and Dingley Spice Mill commercial buildings in Old Sacramento. For 24-hour information, visit www.californiastaterailroadmuseum.org or call (916) 445-6645.

Disclosure: Traci Rockefeller Cusack represents a number of businesses and organizations throughout the greater Sacramento area including the Capital District State Museums and Historic Parks.

Call Out for Railroad Museum Volunteers this Fall!

2011-09-08T20:28:21Z

The California State Railroad Museum and Old Sacramento State Historic Park (SHP) are now recruiting adults (18 or older) who are interested in volunteering this fall to help communicate the West’s fascinating heritage of railroading and the California Gold Rush. The volunteer orientation will begin on Saturday, September 24, but interested volunteers must apply and be interviewed in advance. Volunteer applications are being accepted now through Monday, September 12, and involved community members are encouraged to get involved in this worthwhile program.

Anyone who has ever visited the California State Railroad Museum and Old Sacramento SHP has undoubtedly crossed paths with a docent. Dressed in railroad garb or other period attire, these trained volunteers answer questions and discuss history with guests. There are many other volunteers, too. Each year, approximately 600 men and women volunteer for the California State Railroad Museum’s programs—including weekend steam train operations, track construction, restoration and maintenance, even clerical work. Since the Museum’s 1976 inception, volunteers have contributed well over two million hours of service.

As part of their training, candidates are encouraged to consider participating in one or more Museum programs. For example, volunteers may choose to serve as docents and Museum tour guides; participate in hands-on, interactive educational programs for school groups; or become involved with train operations on the Sacramento Southern Railroad. Volunteer training represents a serious commitment of 84 volunteer hours annually, but the hours are flexible and the rewards can be tremendous.

A background in history is not required. In fact, most of the volunteers began with little knowledge of railroads or the Gold Rush. As they become more familiar with the Museum’s varied and frequent programs, many volunteers take on additional responsibilities, such as conducting research or giving talks to community organizations about the Museum. Perks for active volunteers include free parking while on duty, invitation to an annual Volunteer Recognition Banquet, complimentary Museum membership and the chance to meet new and interesting people.

Interested volunteers are encouraged can download a volunteer application at www.parks.ca.gov/CapitalDistrict or contact the Museum’s Volunteer Training Coordinator at (916) 324-7593.

Disclosure: Traci Rockefeller Cusack represents a number of businesses and organizations throughout the greater Sacramento area including the Capital District State Museums and Historic Parks.

Step Back in Time - Gold Rush Days Photos

2011-09-04T23:37:35Z

This was my third yearly visit to Gold Rush Days in Old Sac.

I just walked around and grabbed shots of things happening. There seemed to be lots of activity in the surrounding perimeter streets.

The California Band of the Battalion - "Music from a time when instruments had character...... and characters had instruments" Tent City: A recreation of town life in early Sacramento City where you can visit saloons, a gambling tent, doctors, dentists, and even an undertaker! Tent City will also offer a variety of tasty treats available for purchase, including fish & chips, roasted corn on the cob, fresh-made kettle korn, homemade sarsaparilla, root beer, draft ale, local wines, and more!

Railroad Museum Rolls Out Collection of California Depot Sketches

2011-08-31T16:46:48Z

The California State Railroad Museum will debut a fascinating documentary-style exhibit titled “Wedlock’s Gift: California Railroad Depot Images in Ink” in two phases with the first set of 26 sketches beginning on September 1, 2011 and continuing through February 2012. Then, in August 2012, the second set of 26 sketches will debut and continue through December 2012. Following the completion of his quest to interpret many of California’s disappearing historic railroad depots in brush and ink, commercial artist Walter J. Wedlock gifted the complete set of 52 drawings and one watercolor to the California State Railroad Museum in 1985 after seeing the collection together for the first time during a special exhibit.

Wedlock’s quest began in the 1970s, when he realized historic railroad depots that had once dotted the rail lines of California were in danger of being demolished due to the decline of passenger train travel. Racing against time and the wrecking ball, Wedlock sketched his compelling images on-the-spot after tracking down various depots built primarily between the 1880s and the late 1930s. Wedlock did not concentrate on any one architectural style, railroad company or structure, but instead focused on capturing the unique personality of each historic railroad depot, many of which had been the center of their communities at an earlier time. While more than a third of the depots sketched by Wedlock have been demolished, many communities subsequently launched successful efforts to save their endangered depots. Today, many house museums or have changed to some other adaptive reuse. Happily, several are once again busy transportation centers for the communities they serve.

Each drawing in the “Wedlock’s Gift: California Railroad Depot Images in Ink” exhibit will include information about the structure’s heritage including the date it was built, the architectural style and building materials used, the railroad company with which it was associated, and whether the station still exists today and, if so, its current use.

For more information about “Wedlock’s Gift: California Depot Images in Ink” exhibit or other exhibits on display at the Museum, visit www.californiastaterailroadmuseum.org or call (916) 445-6645.

About the California State Railroad Museum
Operated by California State Parks with financial assistance from the non-profit California State Railroad Museum Foundation, the California State Railroad Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Widely regarded as North America’s finest and most popular railroad museum, the complex of facilities includes the 100,000-square foot Railroad History Museum plus the reconstructed Central Pacific Railroad Passenger Station and Freight Depot, 1849 Eagle Theatre, and Big Four and Dingley Spice Mill commercial buildings in Old Sacramento. For 24-hour information, visit www.californiastaterailroadmuseum.org or call (916) 445-6645.

Disclosure: Traci Rockefeller Cusack represents a number of businesses and organizations throughout the greater Sacramento area including the Capital District State Museums and Historic Parks.

DWB on "SMF": What's in a name?

2011-08-23T23:15:43Z

We old-timers will likely continue to call it “Jazzfest” or even “the Jubilee” for some time to come, but as of today, Sacramento’s Memorial Day tradition for 38 years, the Sacramento Jazz Festival in Old Sacramento, is going by a new name: The Sacramento Music Festival.

The airport isn’t the only SMF in town any more.

Name changes are nothing new for the event, which began its life as the Dixieland Jazz Jubilee in 1973 and became the Sacramento Jazz Festival a couple of decades after that. But jazz has long since ceased to be the only, or even the dominant musical form at the festival, which has for years featured many blues, swing and other traditional music acts.

The festival has also found itself in a bit of a quandary in recent years, with dwindling crowds and a waning cultural presence in town, trying to stay true to its rootsy roots, beloved of its aging fan base, but watching that fan base age – and worse.

Hearing about the name change jogged my memory. I got into big trouble as a young pop music critic at The Sacramento Bee, when the editor of the paper, Gregory Favre, strongly suggested that I apologize to a member of that older set when I referred to the event in a review as “the Woodstock of the Geritol Generation.”

The offended party was not just another retiree; she was the late PR diva Jean Runyon, whose husband was involved in the production of the festival, which at the time – 1985 or so – was still going great guns and had many friends in powerful places.

That's how important that event was in the culture of the time, “Bill Bailey” notwithstanding. To their credit, the Sacramento Music Festival’s organizers have clearly seen that the future is not in traditional jazz. That they have yet to figure out that the future isn’t in traditional blues either, or for that matter, traditional rock or funk, remains to be seen. Then again, the new Geritol Generation will be made up of Baby Boomers. Double yikes.

But I’m getting snarky again. This change strikes me as a bit desperate and perhaps not the best solution. After all, this is a festival that takes place in a living museum, Old Sacramento, so the festival strays from its roots at its own peril.

The problem with a name like the Sacramento Music Festival is that it means essentially nothing. The Dixieland Jazz Jubilee is a brand, and a powerful one. By contrast, the Sacramento Music Festival is safe, broad, flexible and open to interpretation.

Or to being ignored.

The proof will come in the fall and spring, in the booking of the hundreds of acts that will appear next year. The Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Mike Testa is quoted in a press release as saying that the new, renamed festival will feature “nationally known groups from the more mainstream genres like Rock and Country.” If that turns the festival into something more like Seattle’s eclectic Bumbershoot, I’m on board.

But if the booking is as uninspired and uninspiring as this new name, we’re in trouble.

Testa’s quote scares me. Why? Is it the wanton capitalization of genres? Is it the use of the word “mainstream”? Or is it the sinking feeling that this is a desperate attempt to remake a festival whose purpose has disappeared along with its audience?

Time will tell. I would love to see this event retooled completely, to match the new name. Perhaps it will revive the ignored-and-abused-to-death Sacramento Heritage Festival that Mike Balma and Brian McKenna put together year after year in the face of official neglect and even abuse until it died long before it should have.

Sacramento has a history of quashing truly creative public events, especially musical ones, though that has changed in the last decade. What will happen with the JazzFest … er, SMF … remains an open question. But we’re not off to a great start.

What’s in a name? Well, in the case of the old name, history and identity. In the case of the Sacramento Music Festival, not much. Yet.

This column was edited after being published.

Open house event to discuss Riverfront, Old Sac connector

2011-08-16T01:18:37Z

A project designed to help reconnect downtown Sacramento to the riverfront and Old Sacramento is well under way, and the public is invited to learn more about it at an open house Wednesday.

The informational meeting will provide a project overview, details on key elements and the anticipated schedule and next steps, according to a recent press release from city’s Department of Transportation, which is co-sponsoring the open house with the project team.

“It’s been about three years since we’ve had a public meeting on the project,” said Linda Tucker, spokeswoman for the Department of Transportation. “Since that time, the economy has changed and the project has been scaled back to a more realistic project.”

Tucker said the public is invited to stop in anytime between 5 and 7 p.m. at the Tsakopoulos Library Galleria, and city staff and technical specialists will be on-hand to answer questions and provide more details about the project.

When the I-5 Riverfront Reconnection Project was in its initial vision stage, the City Council had considered creating a deck over the freeway to reconnect downtown to the riverfront.

A project review study found the decking idea was too expensive, so it was scrapped in favor of the current bridging project, according to the Department of Transportation website.

The current design – which includes bike and pedestrian improvements to Capitol Mall, a new gateway entrance into Old Sacramento and a new N Street bridge crossing I-5 – is in the environmental review stages now, and the public may review draft environmental impact reports until Aug. 31.

Of the estimated $38 million design and construction cost for the project, about $5 million comes from federal sources, another $1 million comes from local funding, and an additional $300,000 comes from a Caltrans community-planning grant, Tucker said.

Future financing for design and construction will be sought once the planning and environmental phase is completed. That funding is likely to come from a variety of public and private funding sources, according to the Department of Transportation website.

Ultimately, the goal of the I-5 Riverfront Reconnection Project is to ease the way for vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians to and from downtown Sacramento to the riverfront and Old Sacramento, according to the project website.

“It’ll be a much better gateway to that historic district when all is said and done,” Tucker said. “Once (we) improve the access, it opens up the riverfront area, and opportunities to spur development will start to take shape.”

According to the press release, the environmental document will be finalized and presented to the City Council for adoption in late September or early October.

After that, the city will move forward with the final engineering on the first phase of the project including the improvements to Capitol Mall, an added sidewalk along the south side of the O Street bridge, and a connection from Second Street on Capitol Mall to Old Sacramento.

Depending on available funding, construction for the first phase of improvements could begin as early as 2014.

The open house event will be held from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday at the Tsakopoulos Library Galleria, 828 I St.

To read the environmental document online, submit comments and learn more about the project, visit the project website.

Melissa Corker is a Staff Reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Special Photo Opportunity & Lighting Seminar at Railroad Museum!

2011-08-12T18:01:07Z

Lights, Camera, Action! The California State Railroad Museum is proud to host a unique “Trains & Tripods Photo Opportunity & Lighting Seminar" on Friday evening, September 16 and Saturday morning, September 17.

The two-part program includes an optional seminar on existing light photography and a photographers-only photo session inside the visually-enticing museum before it opens to the public for the day. Amateur photographers of all skill levels can choose to attend one or both of the activities. Conducted by former Sacramento Bee photographer and Canon USA consultant Dave Henry, the fast-paced and information-packed lighting seminar is scheduled for Friday evening with the “bring your own tripod” photography opportunity scheduled for Saturday morning.

Space is limited to 50 participants and advance registration for “Trains & Tripods” is required. All photographers are required to sign a release of liability and a “not for commercial use” clause. For more information or to register, interested photographers are encouraged to visit www.csrmf.org/events-exhibits/whats-new or call 916-445-7373.

Disclosure: Traci Rockefeller Cusack represents a number of businesses and organizations throughout the Sacramento area including the California State Railroad Museum.

Evening Activities Galore in Old Sacramento During Gold Rush Days!

2011-08-12T15:45:04Z

During Gold Rush Days 2011 happening over Labor Day Weekend, the daytime hours in Old Sacramento are filled with an amazing array of crowd-pleasing and period-appropriate activities -- but the fun doesn’t stop there! With nearly 50 restaurants/eateries and 75 retail shops, there are plenty of reasons to eat, stay and play in Old Sacramento throughout the day and during the evening hours, too.

Listed below is a sampling of a few special Gold Rush Days-related evening activities happening during the holiday weekend, including:

Gold Rush Days Preview Reception: Friday, September 2, 5-7:30 p.m.
In an effort to kick-off the festivities in 1850s-style, the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation is coordinating a special Gold Rush Days Preview Reception in the Passenger Station in Old Sacramento State Historic Park on Friday evening. The fundraising event will include refreshments and appetizers, live period-appropriate entertainment, the opportunity to preview a new Old Sacramento welcome video narrated by Timothy Busfield, and the chance to mix and mingle with Gold Rush Days dedicated staff and lively entertainers. Tickets for the Gold Rush Days Preview Reception are available at www.historicoldsac.org/goldrushdays.

Gold Rush Days Beer Crawl: Friday, September 2, 6 p.m.-midnight
A number of popular bars in Old Sacramento are participating in a fun Gold Rush Days-inspired beer crawl where guests (ages 21 and older) will receive a six to nine-ounce draft beer at each participating establishment. At last count, nine bars are participating but more are sure to follow. Beer crawl participants are encouraged to dress up like gold miners, saloon girls, etc. A limited number of tickets are available by calling 916-524-5275 or visiting www.oldsacramentobars.com.

Discounted Dining: Friday, September 2, dinner is served 4-10 p.m.
To help guests get in the Gold Rush spirit, Ten22 is offering a 15 percent discount on food menu items for diners sporting cowboy hats and/or cowboy boots on Friday evening. Boasting they have a larger selection of beers on tap than any other Sacramento area restaurant, Ten22 opened in 2009 and offers a casual-chic dining experience with a beautiful outdoor patio and boardwalk dining.

Live Music: Evenings on Friday, September 2 through Monday September 5
During Gold Rush Days 2011, a variety of live bands playing many different genres will be available in the popular Save Mart BBQ Patio & Farmers’ Market during the daytime and also extending into the evening hours. The Save Mart stage is located in the Firehouse Restaurant parking lot and is always a favorite place to sit back, relax and enjoy Gold Rush Days.

Silent Movie Festival: Saturday, September 3, 7 p.m.
As part of the lively and interactive Time Travel Weekends program, Old Sacramento visitors won’t want to miss the season finale of the Silent Movie Festival effort happening in the Eagle Theatre on Saturday night beginning at 7 p.m. With song slides that encourage audience involvement and sing-along, movies from 1900-1929 will be showcased and presented by the Excelsior Company in association with Red Barn Productions. In addition, talented period performers will delight and amuse the audience with engaging and entertaining songs, mini skits and comedic acts as the silent movies play. Beer and wine will be available for purchase for guests 21 and over (and sarsaparilla for the little ones). For more information, visit www.historicoldsac.org/timetravel.

Gold Rush Days 2011 is produced by the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation, the Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau, the City of Sacramento and California State Parks with cooperation from the Old Sacramento Business Association. Presented by Save Mart Supermarkets and Wells Fargo Bank, admission to Gold Rush Days 2011 is free with historic programming offered from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. all three days. New this year, admission to the five museums in Old Sacramento is also free to the public for the three days and includes the California State Railroad Museum, Sacramento History Museum, California State Military Museum, Old Sacramento Schoolhouse Museum and the Wells Fargo History Museum. On Friday, September 2, some Gold Rush Days activities will be set-up for a preview “education day” -- primarily for school children -- but museum entrance will not be free to the general public on that day.

For a complete listing of activities or more information about Gold Rush Days, visit www.historicoldsac.org/goldrushdays or call 916-808-7059.

Disclosure: Traci Rockefeller Cusack represents a number of businesses and organizations throughout the Sacramento region including the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation.

Railroad Museum to Debut Exhibition of Award-Winning Photography

2011-08-09T21:42:49Z

As part of a special exhibition debuting on August 26, the California State Railroad Museum is proud to showcase award-winning photographs from the prestigious Center for Railroad Photography & Art’s 2011 Creative Photography Awards Program.

With submissions received from all over the world, the theme of this year’s competition was “A Story in Three Photographs,” which challenged photographers to tell a story through three images that depicted an event or a day unfolding, illustrated a span of time, or was a creative interpretation of a single subject.

The top prize in the Center’s 2011 Creative Photography Awards Program went to Miško Kranjec of Ljubljana, Slovenia. Second place went to Stephen Hussar of Reading, Massachusetts, and third place went to Patrick J. Cashin of Brooklyn, New York. Judged by Joseph Elliott, Professor of Art (Photography) and Head of the Department at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania, felt the top three sets of entries were all outstanding in different ways and said “If it was up to me, I would say they should share first place in a three-way tie.”

This special photography exhibit will remain on display at the California State Railroad Museum through June 2012, joining the Museum’s regular lineup of permanent and changing exhibitions, along with special events. In addition to being showcased in the special exhibit at the Railroad Museum, the award-winning photographs will be featured in an upcoming issue of Railfan & Railroad magazine and the Center’s journal, Railroad Heritage.

More information about the competition and the Center for Railroad Photography & Art can be found at www.railphoto-art.org, and more information about the California State Railroad Museum is available at www.csrmf.org or by calling (916) 445-6645.

About the California State Railroad Museum
Operated by California State Parks with financial assistance from the non-profit California State Railroad Museum Foundation, the California State Railroad Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Widely regarded as North America’s finest and most popular railroad museum, the complex of facilities includes the 100,000-square foot Railroad History Museum plus the reconstructed Central Pacific Railroad Passenger Station and Freight Depot, 1849 Eagle Theatre, and Big Four and Dingley Spice Mill commercial buildings in Old Sacramento. For 24-hour information, visit www.californiastaterailroadmuseum.org or call (916) 445-6645.

Disclosure: Traci Rockefeller Cusack represents a number of businesses and organizations throughout the greater Sacramento region including the Capital District State Museums and Historic Parks.

Old Sac Underground Tours on Mondays thru Labor Day!

2011-08-04T18:11:38Z

Dig it!

Responding to the demand for more Old Sacramento Underground tour availability, tours are now available on Mondays through Labor Day. On most Mondays, four tours have been added and are offered from 10:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Then, on Labor Day (Monday, September 5), an expanded tour schedule is available with tours departing every half hour from 10:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. With schedules that fluctuate with the seasons, Old Sacramento Underground tours continue through Sunday, November 27.   Interested tour participants are encouraged to check the website -- www.historicoldsac.org -- for tour dates, times and availability.

“For a variety of reasons, possibly long weekends or hold-over stays during conventions, visitors to Old Sacramento have been asking for underground tours on Mondays,” said Marcia Eymann, Executive Director of the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation. “We are pleased to be able to respond accordingly with Monday tours at least for the next four weeks.”

Old Sacramento has the distinction of being the only city in California to raise its streets in the 1860s through the 1870s to protect the city from devastating flooding. Tour participants explore excavated foundations, an open archeological site and enclosed pathways all while entertaining and knowledgeable tour guides recount the tales of the devastation, perseverance, and determination that led to California’s only successful street-raising project.

The Old Sacramento Underground tour program is coordinated by the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation (HOSF) and in partnership with the City of Sacramento, California State Parks, Old Sacramento Business Association and participating merchants and businesses.

Tours of the underground last approximately one hour in length Tour check-in is located at the Sacramento History Museum, 101 I Street in Old Sacramento. Underground visitors will need to be prepared to walk on uneven surfaces in areas that have low ceilings and in occasional small spaces. Box office questions can be sent via email to scox@cityofsacramento.org and more information about Foundation membership is available by calling 916-808-7059.

About the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation
The Historic Old Sacramento Foundation (HOSF) is a 501(c)3 public benefit corporation. Old Sacramento is a living historic district.   The mission of HOSF is to convey the importance of historic Sacramento as a place that connects our past to our present and future through engaging and entertaining events, activities and programs. More information is available at www.historicoldsac.org.

Disclosure: Traci Rockefeller Cusack represents a number of businesses and organizations throughout the Sacramento area including the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation.

Volunteers & Artisans Needed During Gold Rush Days - Monday Deadline!

2011-07-28T14:25:27Z

From friendly greeters to crafty artisans and everything in between, the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation is now accepting applications for more than 200 volunteer positions during Gold Rush Days 2011 and the deadline to apply is Monday, August 1. Widely known as Old Sacramento’s annual heritage celebration, Gold Rush Days volunteers are needed over Labor Day weekend (September 3-5) and for a preview “education day” on Friday, September 2, that is set-up primarily for area school children. Gold Rush Days 2011 is free to the public and produced by the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation, the Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau, the City of Sacramento and California State Parks.

Given the sheer magnitude of the large-scale community event that transforms Old Sacramento into a scene straight out of the 1850s, a large number of volunteers are needed to help with the Gold Rush Days information booth, hospitality tent, first aid station, security booth, children’s activity areas, and much, much more. Some, but not all, positions require period appropriate attire that will be provided. Additionally, interested artisans are encouraged to submit applications to participate in a new “Artisan Alley” happening this year in the Freight Depot -- candle dippers, soap tanners, gold panning experts, dyed wool makers, basket weavers, leather makers, silver smiths and barrel makers are just a few of the artisan opportunities during the three-day community event. Those chosen to participate in the period appropriate “Artisan Alley” will be asked to demonstrate their craft to Gold Rush Days visitors and can also sell their wares at the event.

While the crowd pleasing Gold Rush Days event is scheduled for Labor Day weekend, interested volunteers are encouraged to apply now.
Orientation workshops are scheduled to take place on Friday, August 19 and Saturday, August 20. Volunteer/artisan applications can be downloaded at www.historicoldsac.org/goldrushdays and more information is available at 916-808-7059.

Disclosure: Traci Rockefeller Cusack represents a number of businesses and organizations throughout the greater Sacramento area including the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation.

Color the sky with Old City Kites

2011-07-21T03:34:40Z

For Anwar Khan, owner of Old City Kites in Old Sacramento, his love of kites began when he was a child. He grew up in India and participated in many rooftop kite fights before moving to the United States in the ‘80s.

Khan described what kite fighting was like as a child – Fifteen children spread out on wide flat rooftops, their arms extended, eyes fixed on the sky as kites fluttered about overhead, pulling stunt tricks like twisting, turning and spinning in the air. Cheers and laughter could be heard from neighboring rooftops, as the children’s kite lines cut others, defeating the other’s kite and winning the duel.

He opened Old City Kites in 1993. The family-owned business in Old Sacramento features a selection of over 500 kites and specializes in kite repair. Garden spinners, team flags, wind chimes, board games, yo-yos and puzzles are also available at the store.

Khan worked for an engineering firm called Morton and Pitalo while also running the Old Sacramento restaurant Mustard Seed Cafe with his wife, Ann.

In 1993 the building owners went bankrupt and Khan was forced to close down his cafe, which was located where Laughs Unlimited is currently.

Around the same time a family-owned kite shop located two stores down from Mustard Seed Cafe also went out of business.

Khan made the decision to leave the engineering firm and open a kite shop in Old Sacramento. This way Khan and his wife could focus on raising their two daughters while establishing Old City Kites.

Ann Khan said the name of the shop “is about where we are and what we sell. (It) identifies us pretty simply.”

There are a variety of kites that serve different purposes. Khan explained below how kites are made, the materials used and the differences between fighter kites, parafoil kites and the different kite tricks.

Fighter Kites
The object of kite fighting is to take down the other kite by slashing the flying line. Coating the kite’s flying line with a sticky-glue-like mixture to make it sharp will achieve that goal.

“When I was a kid, I always made homemade fighter kites,” he said. He used bamboo sticks and tissue paper– he launched the kite outside his kitchen but soon lost control and balance and almost got the line caught in a tree.

His mother, who saw him struggling, came and took the flying line. She re-stabilized the kite which surprised Khan because “girls don’t fly kites,” he said. She told him that his uncle, a fighter kite champion in India in the ‘60s, had taught her.

Kite fighting has always been a hobby for Khan and he said it was the book “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini that made fighter kites famous in the United States.

In the book, the kite’s flying line was coated using glass-powder to make an abrasive sticky-glue-like mixture, for slicing flying lines in fighter kite battles.

In India, where the entire flying line of a fighter kite is abrasive, there have been cases of motorcyclists’ getting a kite’s flying line wrapped around their necks causing injuries and sometimes fatalities.

“But the technique I use is different,” Khan said. Khan doesn’t coat the entire flying line of a kite as is normally done.

He prefers to use the coated cotton line up to 100 feet from the kite’s bridle. He said the glass-powder cutting lines can be dangerous because they are sharp.

“The ‘bridle’ is a webbed network of lines that connect to multiple points on the kite and allow the kite to respond or perform to the flyer's commands,” according to awindofchange.com

“The most important thing about the fighter kite, (is that) you can fly as high as you wish. They go (as high as) 2,000 to 3,000 feet,” Khan said.

Fighter kites can fly in every direction. It is hard to perform a figure eight stunt trick with the fighter kite, but if you are experienced, you can also perform that trick, Khan said.

Khan makes the glass-powder-coated flying line, buys the commercial brand or special-orders it when business is demanding during the months of May and June.

Old City Kites received second place for “Best Children’s Gifts” in KCR 3’s A-List this year, and has remained in the top five since 2009.

The inventory of the kite shop changes often, if a kite or toy is not popular, they discontinue it and introduce something different, Khan’s wife, Ann, said.

Sharp glass-powder-coated flying line
To make glass-powder-coated flying line, Khan said he crushes glass bottles or broken window glass into a fine powder. He mixes the fine-glass powder with flour and water, adds color dye and simmers the mixture in a pot for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the batch size.

The mixture turns from a white color to a dark, sticky grey or other color depending on the dye used. After cooking the putty-like mixture, Khan coats the cotton flying line three to five times, allowing 10 - 30 minutes of drying time between each coat.

(To see an image of what the coating process looks like click here.)

The sharp glass-powder-coated flying line on a kite is easily distinguished by the colors black, grey, red, orange or pink, so the opponent is aware of which portion of the kite’s flying line is a sharp threat that can pluck their kite out of the air by cutting its flying line.

To confuse the opponent, a kite fliers can mask his or her cutting line to look white like plain cotton line.

The advantage to doing so, said Khan, is that the opponent will charge his or her fighter kite at your kite thinking they are up against a plain cotton flying line instead of an abrasive flying line.

“They quickly want to come and cut you,” Khan said. “But they are surprised when they hit a taut line,” because their kite’s flying line is the one that gets cut out of the sky.

As for the kite’s fate, it winds up on a rooftop, stuck in a tree or broken against a wall, and turns into a broken, but repairable gift for whoever finds it.

Some customer’s come into the shop looking to repair a kite they found at a thrift store, a garage sale, a tree, a shrub or a rooftop, Ann Khan said.

Old City Kites sells glass-powder cutting line to experienced kite fliers only. They said they gauge experience by talking to the person.

“If they don’t know what they are doing, they might hurt themselves or somebody else with the cutting line,” said Ann Khan.

Basic Tricks and Parafoil Kites
Aside from fighter kites, Old City Kites also has single-line, double-line and quad-line kites available for purchase.

“Single-line kites fly high,” Ann Khan said. “Two-line kites you (can) do tricks with. Four-line kites, in the parafoil style, are for power control.”

Basic tricks include figure eight loops, swaying right or left, up or down, or even coming to a dead stop in the air.

Lazy Suzan is one advanced trick, to perform, the kite is flipped over on its back and slowly spins while in the air. The yo-yo stunt is also an advanced trick that maneuvers the kite to spin, roll and return like a yo-yo.

Unlike traditional kites, parafoil kites do not have spars, plastic aluminum, bamboo or carbon sticks that hold the kite’s shape in the air.

The material in a parafoil kite is designed with cells that fill with air and inflate the kite in the sky. Parafoil kites generate a powerful pull that is incorporated into activities such as kite surfing, kite boarding, snow kitting and kite buggying.

“Anything you can imagine, you can be pulled on,” Ann Khan said about the powerful parafoil kites that are used in extreme sports but can also be used to pull someone on a skateboard, a skimboard or an individual on a large field of grass.

Sherman Island, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and Folsom Lake are common areas for surfing in the water using a parafoil kite, Khan said.

Start with a trainer, advised Ann Khan. “Learn how to fly the kite, then you can get into the power side of it,” because it is an extreme sport, she said.

Old City Kites features kites shaped as elephants, airplanes, geckos, dragons and rings to name a few.

When and where to fly a kite
“If flags are flying, that’s plenty of wind,” Ann Khan said. “That means it’s 8-20 mph (winds). We get that a lot, especially with the delta breeze coming in almost every day,” Ann Khan said.

Serious kite fliers take advantage of storm winds in the winter for kite-flying gatherings.

“In the wintertime, before and after a storm, you always have a good wind,” Anwar Khan said.

“A lot of people think we don’t get enough wind here,” Ann Khan said. “As long as you go to a big open space to fly,” where buildings and trees don’t block the wind, you should be able to fly the kite.

Kite flying is not recommended near busy streets or highways or in lightning storms according to an Old City Kites information pamphlet.

“The average person does best between 8-20 mph wind conditions, but with more experience you can learn to fly with no wind or with extreme wind,” she said.

The materials the kites are made out of determine the kite’s performance and safety is always important.

Light wind kites are designed for wind speeds from 0 to 10 mph. Medium wind conditions include between 8 and 15 mph, this category includes regular single-line and double-line kites. Advanced wind conditions are 15-30 mph, and wind speeds higher than that, “you are on your own,” jokes Anwar Khan.

Flying a kite over the wind capacity can damage the kite by tearing its material or breaking its frame and can be dangerous to the kite flier or others, Khan said.

Common kite flying misconceptions and launching a kite
“The average person thinks that when you are flying a kite, you must run with the kite to get it in the air,” Khan said.

This is not the case, flying a kite does not require running to launch it into the air. Choose an open treeless area with no big obstacles that block the wind, Khan said. Have somebody carry the kite downwind about one hundred feet and hold it with the nose up.

The person holding the kite can let go of the kite and the kite flier can start pulling the line with a hand over hand quick and steady motion to get the kite in the air. From there, you can feed your line more or less to preference, Khan said.

Khan warned that a common mistake happens before launching a kite.

For a single-line kite, it is possible to unroll the line as you go, but for a double-line kite, the line must be completely unrolled before the launch to make sure the lines are equal in length. It is important to have even lines for stability and control while in the air, said Khan.

Prices for single-line kites range starting at $5.50 to $40.

Box kites, which are three-dimensional, and designer kites are priced at several hundred dollars. Designer kites displayed in the store on the ceiling near the cash register include a black-winged bat, a Chinese opera mask and an orange and grey German-designed box kite, that goes for $299.

Old City Kites has participated in the San Ramon Kite festival, and often sells to Northern California Kite Club members and members from the Bay Area Sport Kite League.

They also participate in school events, or community events to promote the business by displaying or flying kite demonstrations.

Customers commonly walk into Khan’s kite shop asking for a kite that is easy or hard to fly, or inquiring about the shape and flight performance of the kites, thinking that the performance is based on design, but it is up to the flier, Khan said.

“No matter what, (kite) shape, size (or) design makes no difference, (on performance). For example, if you are flying a shark or dolphin, a box kite or you’re flying a dragon, they all fly equally,” Khan said.

Old City Kites is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Visit their website or facebook page by clicking.

Sacramento Mermaid Parade

2011-07-19T08:39:19Z

Old Sacramento was the site for Sacramento’s first Mermaid Parade. Saturday afternoon, dozens of people of all ages dressed as mermaids, pirates, vikings, walruses, squids, octopus, sea gods and goddesses as they paraded down the streets of Old Sacramento.

Modeled after the famous 29 year old Coney Island Mermaid Parade, Sacramento held its first Mermaid Parade. Debora Iyall from Romeo Void served as Grand Marshall. The parade began at Rio City Café. Participants marched up the boardwalk, back down Front Street and ended back at the boardwalk. Besides the parade on the streets of Old Sacramento, Laughs Unlimited and the Crest Theatre (amongst others) had specials after the parade for those in costumes.

The sea creatures and those that sail the seas began to gather in front of the Rio City Café. Some people made final hair, makeup and costume changes as they waited for the parade to begin. Many who participated found out about the parade at the last minute and put together their costume that same day.

Registration had been held in the days before the event and those that registered in advance were eligible for prizes. Prizes were to be awarded for best costume in both the adult’s and children’s categories.

Shaun Slaughter participated in the parade dressed as King Neptune and Queen Mermaid was Heidi Ho.

Several mermaids had to be pushed on wheeled vehicles, as their fins would not allow them to walk on solid ground. Many of the participants had obviously spent much time thinking about their costume and putting it together with makeup. Although not everyone could spent as much time putting their outfits together, the main point of the event was to have fun, and in that aspect, it was atremendously successful event.

Magic Salon, Phono Select Record Shop, Dimond Makeup Artistry and Strut Threads were the sponsors for the event. Other groups that joined the parade included a pirate meet-up group and Louisiana Sue promoting a pirate festival scheduled in September.

As the parade moved around Old Sacramento, it drew an audience. Many were not aware the event was taking place. Several people indicated they would look for the event next year and perhaps participate.

Once the parade came back to the boardwalk, it was time to gather and announce the winners for best costumes.

The children’s best costume award was presented first.

“Thank you all for your participation,” said Iyall as the children stood in front of her, “I will now confer with the Grand Marshall’s court.”

As the court talked things over, the girls who were registered waited in anticipation.

“Second prize goes to Miss Beautiful Pink Princess, and that leaves our first prize winner. All were deserving,” said Iyall. The audience cheered as the little mermaid made her way back to her family.

The next prize was in the “teens” category. Only two teen registered participants were up for this prize.

“In this category we have best and runner up. It was a very difficult decision. Our runner up in the beautiful green and lavender outfit. Our Best Teen is number 34.” Again the enthusiasm exhibited by the audience was magnificent, bringing smiles to participants and the audience.

“I wish you a life of fin!” said Iyall.

Most of the registered participants were adults and as such, posed a dilemma as the adults came forward in front of the Grand Marshall and her court. Two categories for the adult category were Best and Runner Up.

“The Best prize goes to number 59!” Iyall announced. The mermaid was pushed in a cart by a pirate as they paraded around Old Sacramento and again now, as they took the Best Costume prize in the adult’s category.

“The Runner Up is Ariel,” Iyall announced. Many Ariels participated in the parade and the whole process of selecting winners was difficult for Grand Marshall, Iyall and her court.

The judging was the end of the parade, but festivities continued as adult guests were invited to move on to Laughs Unlimited for music and drink specials. Anyone in costume would also receive free admission to the comedy act scheduled for 8 o’clock.

The first place children’s winner was Xochil Pasillas’ niece Corina. Her daughter Bella won fourth place. Diana, who is Pasillas’ daughter as well, won Best Costume in the teen category.

“We all got together,” said Pasillas, “we have cousins here and since we all love mermaids, we came here. It was a lot of fun.”

Pasillas also noted that they made all of their costumes. The costumes they created were created by putting together different outfits and by using their imagination.

“We loved it,” Pasias said and joined her family as they celebrated their prizes and showed off their costumes.

Debora Iyall was a great selection for Grand Marshall. After everything was over Iyall stayed to pose for photographs with guests.

The Crest Theater showed “Humanoids from the Deep” at midnight, which kept the mermaid and mermen fun going. The film is a classic b-horror movie complete with aquatic horror scenes.

The first annual Sacramento Mermaid Parade was a great event and was enjoyed by all who attended. Next year should be twice as big as word gets around.

New addition to underground tour beneath Hall Luhrs & Co.

2011-07-08T01:48:54Z

Guests get a feel for life in the Gold Rush era in the new addition to the Old Sacramento underground tour. The basement space beneath the Hall Luhrs & Co. grocery store is small, the lighting over 19th-century artifacts dim. Guests will forget the modern plumbing of the building above and get a glimpse of historical life.

The tour, which began Thursday, has guests start at the Sacramento History Museum and go straight to the Hall Luhrs & Co. building, where they learn about the unique part it played in the street-raising project. Guests then finish the tour at the underground space beneath the B.F. Hastings building, located at 128-132 J St., that originally made up the tour.

“Sacramento was originally established where two flood-prone rivers meet,” said Heather Downey, a historian and interpretive writer for The Center for Sacramento History.

Downey said the two month storm, lasting from December 1861 to January 1862 forced residents to act. They chose to raise the city.

Residents raised the city to save it from flooding. Streets were filled in with dirt and buildings were raised to a higher, safe level.

“People wanted to convey a sense of permanency,” said Downey. “Instead of moving, they raised the city and built structures with brick and granite.”

Staci Cox, tour coordinator of the Sacramento History Museum, said the site was not added to the tour last year because it was structurally unsafe. The work took more than a year, but the mixture of old and modern materials in the underground space are now up to ADA compliances.

When the artifacts were discovered in 1979 to 1890 they were kept by state parks, and this is the first time the public will have access to many of them.

Some of the 19th-century artifacts, such as wine bottles, pipes, perfume bottles and lotion bottles are on display, and those were all found in the site. There is even a bourbon bottle that shows little signs of decay.

Unique to this site are the two bordellos that were in business in the lot.

“Frankie Bass, of mixed race and illiterate, was the madam at 914 2nd St.,” said Cox. “Johanna Hiegle was the other woman, and she ran her business at 916 2nd St.”

The bordellos were closed when the city was being raised, and the buildings were demolished.

The tour will go into the basement of the Hall Luhrs & Co. building where visitors can see the archaeological dig that was done by students from Cosumnes River College from 1979 to 1980 and some of the artifacts they recovered.

The archaeological site is in the center. It is blocked off by wooden railings. Cox said that guests can look into the site and see some staged artifacts that are period appropriate, but not original to the space.

Locals have spread rumors about what can be found beneath the spaces, with stories about its use as an underground race track or for the opportunity to do generally illegal things out of the public eye, Downey said.

There are also rumors of ghosts. The show “Ghost Adventures” filmed in the underground tunnels earlier this year, heightening the speculation.

“The underground space beneath the Hall Luhrs building never went out of memory,” said Downey, “but it was never interpreted. Here, we are trying to ascribe meaning to how life was during the Gold Rush.”

The Hall Luhrs & Co. building tells a very different story than that of the B.F. Hastings building.

Hall Luhrs & Co. grocery store, the largest building in Old Sacramento, operated from 1885 to 1906, and unlike the B.F. Hastings building that was raised to meet the new streets, the Hall Luhrs & Co. building was built over four Gold Rush-era buildings that were destroyed.

“Of all the things we do on the tour, we just want people to grow in their appreciation for how their city is unique,” Downey said. “The underground and the raising of the streets, and everything that goes along with it, makes Sacramento a really special place.”

Each tour will be different. With 14 tour guides that don’t go off a script, guests will enjoy a unique experience every time.

Some tours will be led by guides costumed in period attire speaking in first person. Other tours will be given in third-person, with a teaching point of view. There is no way to choose the tour guide, so guests will not experience the same tour twice.

Cox said that more than 10,000 tickets were sold last year.

Tours are held 10:30 a.m-3 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays during July and August. Tour schedules vary with seasons and continue through November 27. Tour check-in is at 101 I St. at the Sacramento History Museum.

Tours last one hour and cost $15 for adults, $10 for children and $12 for Historic Old Sacramento Foundation members.

For more information about the underground tour, click here.

Call Out Now for Volunteers & Artisans During Gold Rush Days!

2011-07-05T20:13:51Z

From friendly greeters to crafty artisans and everything in between, the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation is now accepting applications for more than 200 volunteer positions during Gold Rush Days 2011. Widely known as Old Sacramento’s annual heritage celebration, Gold Rush Days volunteers are needed over Labor Day weekend (September 3-5) and for a preview “education day” on Friday, September 2, that is set-up primarily for area school children. Gold Rush Days 2011 is free to the public and produced by the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation, the Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau, the City of Sacramento and California State Parks.

Given the sheer magnitude of the large-scale community event that transforms Old Sacramento into a scene straight out of the 1850s, a large number of volunteers are needed to help with the Gold Rush Days information booth, hospitality tent, first aid station, security booth, children’s activity areas, and much, much more. Some, but not all, positions require period appropriate attire that will be provided. Additionally, interested artisans are encouraged to submit applications to participate in a new “Artisan Alley” happening this year in the Freight Depot -- candle dippers, soap tanners, gold panning experts, dyed wool makers, basket weavers, leather makers, silver smiths and barrel makers are just a few of the artisan opportunities during the three-day community event. Those chosen to participate in the period appropriate “Artisan Alley” will be asked to demonstrate their craft to Gold Rush Days visitors and can also sell their wares at the event.

While the crowd pleasing Gold Rush Days event is scheduled for Labor Day weekend, interested volunteers are encouraged to apply now. The deadline to apply to become a Gold Rush Days volunteer or participate as an artisan at the event is Monday, August 1.

Orientation workshops are scheduled to take place on Friday, August 19 and Saturday, August 20. Volunteer/artisan applications can be downloaded at www.historicoldsac.org/goldrushdays and more information is available at 916-808-7059.

Disclaimer: Traci Rockefeller Cusack represents a number of businesses and organizations located throughout the greater Sacramento area including the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation.

Gold Rush Days 2011 -- Bigger & Better Than Ever Over Labor Day Weekend!

2011-07-05T20:08:14Z

Free to the public and a favorite Sacramento heritage celebration, Gold Rush Days 2011 promises to be bigger and better than ever before with all the popular period-appropriate attractions plus FREE ADMISSION to all Old Sacramento museums! Produced by the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation, the Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau, the City of Sacramento and California State Parks, Gold Rush Days 2011 is scheduled for Labor Day Weekend -- September 3 through 5 -- and will take place throughout the 27-acre historic district in Old Sacramento.   On Friday, September 2, some Gold Rush Days activities will be set-up for a preview “education day” -- primarily for school children -- but museum entrance will not be free to the general public on that day.

With 200 tons of dirt to help turn back time to the 1850s, the unique three-day event will feature crowd-favorite cannon firings, wagon, pony and train rides, historic re-enactments, lively entertainment and dancing to Gold Rush era music, period games and re-creations, hands-on children’s activities, gold panning, and the popular Embarcadero Tent City depicting daily life during the Gold Rush.   New this year, an Artisan Alley will be set up in the Freight Depot with local artisans -- such as candle dippers, soap tanners and silver smiths -- demonstrating their craft-making skills and showcasing their wares.

A favorite stop with lots of hands-on crafts and activities, the traditional Embarcadero Tent City in Old Sacramento State Historic Park offers a mercantile, boarding house, millinery, hardware store, bank, various saloons, the first theater, and even an old time doctor and pharmacist. In addition, visitors can pan for gold, sample real sarsaparilla, meet an old miner and his burro, discover lace making, hat making and embroidery, or simply enjoy dancing and music.

Of course, an impressive and varied line-up of free, live entertainment will be available on various stages throughout Old Sacramento, including a variety of bands playing many different genres in the popular Save Mart BBQ Patio & Farmers’ Market.

Presented by Save Mart Supermarkets and Wells Fargo Bank, admission to Gold Rush Days 2011 is free and event hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. all three days.    New this year, admission to the five museums in Old Sacramento is also free to the public, including the California State Railroad Museum, Sacramento History Museum, California State Military Museum, Old Sacramento Schoolhouse Museum and the Wells Fargo History Museum. For a complete listing of activities or more information about Gold Rush Days, visit www.historicoldsac.org/goldrushdays or call 916-808-7059.

About Gold Rush Days
Gold Rush Days is Sacramento’s annual heritage celebration and is produced by the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation, the Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau, the City of Sacramento and California State Parks.

Disclaimer: Traci Rockefeller Cusack represents a variety of businesses and organizations located in the greater Sacramento area including the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation.

Silent Movies Make a Comeback in Old Sacramento!

2011-07-01T19:31:53Z

Starting July 2 and contuning Saturday evenings through August, Old Sacramento visitors will be treated to something quite novel in this day and age -- silent films in the Eagle Theatre every Saturday night! The showings begin at 7 p.m. in the Eagle Theatre in Old Sacramento State Historic Park.

With song slides that encourage audience involvement and sing-along, movies from 1900-1929 will be showcased and presented by the Excelsior Company in association with Red Barn Productions. In addition, talented period performers will delight and amuse the audience with engaging and entertaining songs, mini skits and comedic acts as the silent movies play. Every Saturday night will offer something different and special -- early dramas, comedies, fantasies, and more! All movies and spirited performances will be presented in period appropriate style and Old Sacramento guests are encouraged to travel back in time and dress in the fun and sometimes lavish fashions of the day.

Don’t miss the Saturday night Silent Movie Festival coming to Old Sacramento this summer!

For more information, call 916-808-7059 or visit www.oldsacramento.org/timetravel.

Disclaimer: Traci Rockefeller Cusack represents a number of businesses and organizations throughout the greater Sacramento area including the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation.

Railroad Technology Museum Project Consultant Begins July 1

2011-06-30T15:56:36Z

Railroad expert Peter Hansen has been named as project consultant for the Railroad Technology Museum, an expansion of the popular California State Railroad Museum in Old Sacramento which is part of California State Parks. His position, which is effective July 1, 2011, has been added by the California State Railroad Museum Foundation to assist California State Parks in the development of the project.

Hansen has a long and impressive background as a rail historian, exhibit curator, lecturer and writer. His extensive work history includes serving as editor and publisher of Railroad History -- the journal of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society -- for the past four years, and also as a correspondent for Trains magazine. In addition, he has 14 years of experience and progressive project management responsibility with Sprint, which culminated in the construction of a $25 million, 20,000-square foot briefing center at the corporate headquarters of this telecommunications firm.

“Peter Hansen brings an accomplished resume of business experience, along with a grasp of history and museum audience psychology that we believe will be extremely useful as the Railroad Technology Museum project moves forward,” said Catherine Taylor, District Superintendent for Capital District State Museums and Historic Parks. “California State Parks is delighted that the Railroad Museum Foundation has selected such a qualified candidate to help lead the development efforts of this noteworthy museum development project.”

“For over a decade, the Railroad Technology Museum has been planned to occupy two historic structures in the Downtown Sacramento Railyards,” said Robert Slobe, Board Chairman for the CSRM Foundation. “With the project poised to move forward this year, the Railroad Museum Foundation Board has made a bold decision. This is an important project for all of California and the United States, and one that is critical to the future of the Downtown Sacramento Railyards and the preservation legacy of the Capital City as well.”

The Railroad Technology Museum Project Consultant position is funded by the non-profit California State Railroad Museum Foundation, organized in the late 1980s to raise and manage funds and assist California State Parks in the operation of the California State Railroad Museum, widely regarded as North America’s most popular railroad museum. Included in the original 1970s master plan for the California State Railroad Museum, the Railroad Technology Museum -- when completed -- is expected to increase visitation at the California State Railroad Museum complex to nearly one million annually.

The present-day California State Railroad Museum is home to 21 meticulously restored locomotives and cars and numerous exhibits that illustrate how railroads have shaped people's lives, the economy, and the unique culture of California and the West. The Railroad Technology Museum will add a whole new set of experiences and dimensions, showcasing the ingenuity, science and engineering of the railroad. Housed in some of the West’s most significant industrial heritage structures, this new museum will combine the hands-on interactive experiences of a science museum with a factory tour unlike any other, and look not just at the past but also to the future of railroads and high-speed rail in tomorrow’s world.

As the Railroad Technology Museum project progresses, new information will be available at www.californistaterailroadmuseum.org.

Disclaimer: Traci Rockefeller Cusack represents a number of businesses and organizations in the greater Sacramento area including the California State Railroad Museum.

Revamping Old Sacramento

2011-06-24T02:15:09Z

Wednesday evening, the Department of Parks and Recreation presented plans to expand Old Sacramento’s excursion train and further explore the underground ruins to provide visitors a more exciting learning experience of the Gold Rush, commerce and river transportation. The preliminary general plan for Old Sacramento State Historic Park would span 20 years.

The project is currently set to develop the Front Street area between J and I streets.

Capital District Superintendent of Capital District State Museums and Historic Parks Catherine Taylor explained that the project will educate visitors on the Gold Rush era. The underground ruins will feature active archaeological digs and exhibits and the above street level will showcase the reconstructed buildings of the 1860s and 1870s.

The plan also includes waterfront development, in which the existing sunken ship will be lit up for viewing. Taylor said they would also like to bring in a 19th- or 20th-century ship that can be docked in the area and/or have a water taxi for tours. She said that each of these exhibits would be a great way to allow people to reconnect with the river.

Taylor said they want to expand the excursion train operation to the Hood neighborhood.

Upon completion, there would be two train rides. The first would run from Old Sacramento to the Sacramento Zoo, stopping at the Crocker Art Museum, Miller Park and the town of Baths. The second would begin in the Pocket/Meadowview area and extend into Hood and would include a Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta trip with dinner or brunch or other themed excursion rides.

Several Planning Commission members applauded the presentation, including Anna Molander, who said, “It is a fantastic vision and I can’t wait to see it implemented.”

Taylor and Allen Folks, AECOM planning consultant for the project, said they want to finalize the plan by spring of 2012.

The general plan has been in the works since the summer of 2010.

Taylor and Folks told the Planning Commission that they have worked hard to incorporate the voices and opinions of the local community, especially those directly affected by the potential changes to the area.

Since last October, three public workshops were held to gather input.

Folks said that during those workshops, the public expressed support for the Gold Rush, transportation and commerce themes, but were also concerned about the physical adjustments being done to the area.

The plan will therefore address issues such as bike trail improvements and minimal use of trains through the Land Park and South Land Park neighborhoods, he said.

The preliminary plan will now go through public review once more before being submitted for approval by City Council.

For more information on the project, click here.

Lively & Interactive “Time Travel Weekends” Resume in Old Sacramento on July 2

2011-06-20T23:43:50Z

The past will mingle with the present once again when the popular “Time Travel Weekends” program resumes in Old Sacramento on Saturday, July 2. The free street theater program debuted in 2010 and was an immediate crowd pleaser.   Designed to delight, entertain and engage Old Sacramento visitors with good, old-fashioned fun reminiscent of the Gold Rush era, “Time Travel Weekends” are offered weekends July through August from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (with expanded performances during Gold Rush Days over Labor Day weekend). The “Time Travel Weekends” program is presented by the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation (HOSF) in partnership with the City of Sacramento, California State Parks, Old Sacramento Business Association and participating merchants and businesses.

The centerpiece to this free and highly interactive program includes a series of Old West stage shows -- including the much acclaimed Golden Melodeon Review -- performed by teams of talented actors and actresses in period attire. Weekend performances with rotating themes are scheduled on four stages located throughout Old Sacramento including in the Eagle Theatre, Passenger Station, Pioneer Park and Waterfront Park. Additionally, the talented performers will roam the streets of Old Sacramento throughout the scheduled weekends, putting on spontaneous and often-elaborate skits and performances so visitors can step back in time to the 1850s, 1860s and 1870s.

The “Time Travel Weekends” program is also showcased by historic re-enactments complete with wagons, wild characters that include heroes and villains, children’s pioneer craft activities, historic gambling, bowling, juggling, singing, dancing and other forms of musical mastery, military encampments, mining camps, parades, historic events, medicine shows and even Civil War cannon firings. Old Sacramento visitors may also meet 19th century shopkeepers, blacksmiths and railroad engineers as they stroll along the historic streets.

The continuing program is designed to bring a lively and theatrical flair to the streets of Old Sacramento reflecting the exciting atmosphere and character of the early gold mining period.   For a complete and updated performance schedule, visit www.historicoldsac.org/timetravel.

About the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation
The Historic Old Sacramento Foundation (HOSF) is a 501(c)3 public benefit corporation. Old Sacramento is a living historic district.   The mission of HOSF is to convey the importance of historic Sacramento as a place that connects our past to our present and future through engaging and entertaining events, activities and programs. More information is available at www.historicoldsac.org.

Disclosure: Traci Rockefeller Cusack represents a number of businesses and organizations throughout the greater Sacramento area including the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation.

Old Sac Launch Site for New Postage Stamp Honoring Mark Twain

2011-06-20T23:38:23Z

Old Sacramento State Historic Park has been selected by the United States Postal Service (USPS) as the site to help launch a new postage stamp that honors Mark Twain. With the historic site as a backdrop and amidst a spirited rehearsal for the “Time Travel Weekends” program, a stamp dedication and presentation by an engaging Mark Twain re-enactor will take place on Saturday, June 25, at 1 p.m. in the historic Passenger Station in Old Sacramento State Historic Park.

The activities are open to the public and the community is invited to attend the stamp dedication that will also include a performance by a local Boy Scout Color Guard. The United States Post Office will be on-hand to provide an opportunity for interested community members to be among the first to purchase the new Mark Twain anniversary postage stamp soon after its public release.

Additionally, the public is encouraged to stay and watch one of the final and highly entertaining theatrical rehearsals for the “Time Travel Weekend” program -- featuring Mark Twain -- that debuts the following weekend.   Designed to delight, entertain and engage Old Sacramento visitors with good, old-fashioned fun reminiscent of the Gold Rush era, “Time Travel Weekends” are offered weekends July through August from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (with expanded performances during Gold Rush Days over Labor Day weekend). The “Time Travel Weekends” program is presented by the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation (HOSF) in partnership with the City of Sacramento, California State Parks, Old Sacramento Business Association and participating merchants and businesses.

For more information about the new Mark Twain postage stamp, visit www.usps.com/shop
and for more information about the “Time Travel Weekends” program and other summertime fun activities in Old Sacramento, visit www.historicoldsac.org/timetravel.

About the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation
The Historic Old Sacramento Foundation (HOSF) is a 501(c)3 public benefit corporation. Old Sacramento is a living historic district.   The mission of HOSF is to convey the importance of historic Sacramento as a place that connects our past to our present and future through engaging and entertaining events, activities and programs. More information is available at www.historicoldsac.org.

Disclosure: Traci Rockefeller Cusack represents a number of businesses and organizations throughout the greater Sacramento area including the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation.

Empress Hornblower sails into the past

2011-06-13T04:35:37Z

About 250 formally and historically dressed guests gathered at the L Street Dock on Front Street in support of the preservation and exploration of Sacramento’s historical legacy Friday evening. Under the guidance of the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation, party-goers traveled through the 1850s, 1960s and back to the present on the Empress Hornblower along the Sacramento River for the hour-long cruise Casino Royale on the River: Where Old Sacramento Meets Monte Carlo.

This was the second year HOSF had hosted the event to raise funds for its educational and interpretive programs, including the historical exhibitions in the Sacramento History Museum on I Street.

Last year the event was held on the Delta King, and while “the whole thing was a hoot and wonderful success,” the foundation wanted to spice things up a bit, deputy director Kristina Swanson said. Not only did this year’s vessel allow for about 100 more passengers, it provided people with the wonderful experience of a leisurely ride down the river that started the city of Sacramento.

As guests made their way to the boat, they were encouraged to spin a wheel for prizes before being warmly greeted by the captain and crew. Upon entering the ship, they were immediately transported into an 1850s casino room with the help of the live folksy music of Claudia’s Kitchen.

With feathers, petticoats and top hats abound, several members of the Old Sacramento Living History Program were fully dressed in authentic 1850s garb, manning the floor and at least 14 gaming tables. Set both port and starboard, the volunteer gang was more than ready to help guests gamble away their complimentary bag of playing chips.

Not only did the members look the part, they acted it as well. At the Faro card table, working women Flora “Lily of the West” and Miss Bud, “A Flower-in-Training,” refused to leave character. With Derringer pistols visibly placed in their bosoms, anyone could see this was serious play.

Flora reported having to pull her piece out on a cheating party-goer, and Miss Bud wasn’t too shy either, threatening another guest who dared to question the “period appropriateness” of her husband’s costume.

After a bit of nudging and lots of winning on their part, the two women revealed themselves as Catherine Hanson, Flora, and Mary Aye, Bud, and discussed their passion for history, especially Sacramento’s. Hanson works for the California State Library in the history section, and Aye is a docent, leading local school groups on historical tours.

“History is so important, especially that of Sacramento’s,” Aye said. “You really need to learn about the past to know where you’re headed. Most people don’t realize it, especially these days with the focus on standardized testing topics, but Sacramento was such an important part in the development of the West Coast and America.”

If party-goers needed a break from the excitement downstairs, they went up to the second floor, with specially-made Gold Rush drinks in hand, to where James Bond-themed cuisine awaited them. While guests were served hors d'oeuvres on all levels, here they could feast on “The Man with the Golden Bun” mini-burgers and “Aston Martini Mashed Potatoes,” while bidding on various displayed auction items.

As guests finished emptying their pockets and filling their stomachs, they were able to dance their way up the stairs and back into the present day to more contemporary tunes spun by a live DJ on the third floor. On the rooftop, guests were able to take advantage of the warm weather, slight breeze and gorgeous view of Sacramento as the boat glided along the Sacramento River during sunset.

Executive director Marcia Eymann, explained how the boat ride is both a fun experience and great way to remind and share with people how important the Sacramento River is to the history of the city.

“Location, location, location,” Eymann said. “Outside of Sacramento’s part in the Gold Rush, because of this river, Sacramento was and is such an important part of history. For example, historically speaking, because of the river, Sacramento was once San Francisco’s No. 1 trading partner, as well as the ‘fruit basket’ of America.”

Prior to the ship’s voyage, VIP ticket holders, which included a number of former and current elected officials and local dignitaries, attended a reception at the Sacramento History Museum, where Former Mayor Burnett Miller was honored as the first ‘007 Hero of Historic Old Sacramento’ for his continued contribution to the preservation and development of the area.

After the honoree was roasted and toasted by a few of his friends and colleagues, Miller talked to The Sacramento Press about his investment in the history of Sacramento.

“Myself, my father, my grandfather, great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather all lived in Sacramento,” Miller said. “So there is obviously a personal interest, but mostly I’m invested because I enjoy it so much.”

“The history of Sacramento is important, and people of Sacramento should be invested, if not because of that, then simply because it is their community and thus their history.”

The Historic Old Sacramento Foundation has been providing historical programming for Sacramento since 1985.

For more information on their mission and various events and programs, check out their site.

Photos by event photographer Tia Gemmell, Riverview Media Photography

Speaking with the Caveman

2011-06-09T02:19:29Z

Los Angeles-based actor Cody Lyman is the first of four actors appearing in the solo show “Defending the Caveman” at the Cosmopolitan Cabaret. A review of the show was published earlier on SacPress. SacPress caught up with Lyman on his day off Tuesday.

You grew up in Durango, Colo. How did you end up being an actor?

I was a baseball and football player in high school. Played in an all-state game. Didn’t think I was good enough for college. I fell into acting in college. Kept going. It seemed like a lot of fun. It was a good group of people. I feel that theater is pretty important. It helps people look at the world.

“Defending the Caveman” is about more than just male-female relationships.

One of my favorite parts about the show is about men’s relationships with each other. (The play) is for everyone who loved someone enough to be frustrated with each other.

You have been performing “Caveman” for seven years. What keeps it interesting for you as an actor?

It is because the play is conversational, more than a monologue. It is the audience seeing their relationships up on the stage. (There is) a very thin fourth wall. This is the first time to have four actors. I stay closer to the script. Some are more stand-up. I have seen all the other Cavemen. Four different actors, four different performances.

Speaking of stand-up, you have a very strong background in improvisational acting. Rob Becker, who wrote the play, came from doing stand-up comedy, and the play has a very stand-up feel. How did this work out for you?

Improv helped me land the role in the show. I auditioned with Rob Becker in Chicago, where he was based at the time. I do know how to do the tricks. Five of us were hired to learn the script at the same time. We were sent to boot camp in Norman, Okla. Yes, Norman, Okla. There are a lot of cavemen there. I was the only one that was hired. I was given pages and pages of notes. “Caveman” is translated into the language of where it is performed. I saw it in Dusseldorf, Germany.

Do you pick up on caveman behavior in your friends and acquaintances?

Definitely! When I first got the script, I did not understand it. The longer I do it, the more I see it in my family and others.

When you are working in different cities, do you take the time to check them out?

Yes, I do like to do that. I have already checked out Old Sacramento. I have been to a River Cats game. I got to throw out the first pitch. I take in as much of each city as I can.

Cody Lyman will be performing the solo role of the Caveman in “Defending the Caveman” at the Cosmopolitan Cabaret through June 26, 2011

Schedule and Tickets

Charity Happy Hour Aboard the Delta King

2011-06-06T19:11:41Z

Join WEAVE and TheGridLife.com on June 9th for a charity happy hour aboard the Delta King! Enjoy your favorite drink in a great atmosphere and meet some of this seasons Sacramento Mountain Lions Cheerleaders! There will be LIVE music by Hans Eberbach. This is going to be a good time for a great cause!

Event Info:
1000 Front Street
Sacramento, CA
Thursday, June 9th 2011
6:00PM-8:30PM

Hosted by: TheGridLife.com
Featuring: Sacramento Mountain Lion Cheerleaders and live music by Hans Eberbach

Watch the video on YouTube

Share the event on Facebook

In full disclosure, this article was written by a WEAVE employee in the hopes of spreading the word far and wide. We are grateful to Sacramento Press for this forum to get the word out!

38th Annual Sac Jazz Jubilee - photos

2011-05-29T03:43:11Z

(Click on above image for a lerger view)

The 38th Annual Sacramento Jazz Festival and Jubilee opened Friday with its traditional parade around the streets of Old Sacramento.

This year music will be played at 23 performance sites in Old Sacramento and the Convention Center area. Jubilee attendees can choose from a variety of music in addition to jazz, including blues, zydeco, rhythm & blues, western swing and afro-beat.

The Jazz Festival is presented by the Sacramento Traditional Jazz Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of America's own musical art form.

Special events throughout the Memorial Day weekend event include a swing dance contest, salute to war veterans, Jazz Master Class Series and late night parties.

More Jazz Festival photos available here.

Sac Jazz Festival | Photos

2011-05-28T04:22:14Z

Sacramento Jazz Festival & Jubilee opened today for the 38th time.

A parade kicked it off at 11:45am under cloudy skies that brightened as the day went on.

Here's some pictures:

Sac Jazz Festival & Jubilee runs through May 30.

History Museum Offers Free Summer Admission to Military Personnel and Their Families!

2011-05-27T17:44:47Z

The Sacramento History Museum announced its participation in Blue Star Museums -- a partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families and more than 1,300 museums across America -- to offer free admission to all active duty military personnel and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day 2011. Last summer, an estimated 300,000 military families visited partner museums as part of the Blue Star Museum program.

“We are proud to participate in the Blue Star Museums program for the first time this year,” said Historic Old Sacramento Foundation Deputy Director Kristina Swanson. “It is our way of giving back to military families who sacrifice so much.”

This year, more than 1,324 (and counting) museums in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and American Samoa are taking part in the initiative, including more than 500 new museums this year.

The free admission program is available to any bearer of a Geneva Convention common access card (CAC), a DD Form 1173 ID card, or a DD Form 1173-1 ID card, which includes active duty military (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard), National Guard and Reserve members and up to five immediate family members.

About the Sacramento History Museum
Supported by the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation, the Sacramento History Museum is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (except on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day) and is located at 101 I Street in Old Sacramento. Admission is $5 for adults; $4 for youths ages 6-17 and free for children five and under. For more information, call (916) 808-7059 or visit www.historicoldsac.org.

About Blue Star Museums
Blue Star Museums runs from Memorial Day, May 30, 2011 through to Labor Day, September 5, 2011. The free admission program is available to active-duty military and their immediate family members (military ID holder and five immediate family members). Active duty military include Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and active duty National Guard and active duty Reserve members. Some special or limited-time museum exhibits may not be included in this free admission program. For questions on particular exhibits or museums, please contact the museum directly. To find out which museums are participating, visit www.arts.gov/bluestarmuseums.

Special note: Traci Rockefeller Cusack represents a number of businesses and organizations throughout the greater Sacramento region including the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation.

Jazz Jubilee a party for all

2011-05-26T00:22:07Z

Charlie Gehlbach hadn’t played his trumpet for 15 years, but after his friend took him to the Sacramento Jazz Festival & Jubilee more than a decade ago, he said he went straight home and picked it up again, inspired.

This weekend, Gehlbach and the band he later formed will be playing in the festival for the 11th time.

“Getting the chance to play at the festival, I’d always dreamed of that,” said the 78-year-old Auburn resident who began playing the trumpet at age 7 and now leads a band called Dr. Bach and the Jazz Practitioners.

“It’s really neat to have such a fabulous, fabulous festival here,” he said.

This weekend marks the 38th year of what started as a bunch of jazz enthusiasts playing in Old Sacramento and evolved into one of the biggest jazz festivals in the world, said Greg Willett, executive director of the Sacramento Traditional Jazz Society, the nonprofit organization that holds the festival.

A parade through Old Sacramento at 11:30 a.m. Friday will kick off four days of partying, he said, adding that it’s not just Dixieland jazz anymore.

“The festival got a resurgence in the ’90s when we added other types of music like Western swing and Zydeco, which is a Cajun/Creole style of music,” he said.

Between 70 and 80 bands with hundreds of musicians are expected to attend, and they will play at 22 venues, mostly concentrated in Old Sacramento.

“It’s a great party for all types of people,” Willett said. “A lot of the older generation will be here right at 10 a.m. when we open (Saturday-Monday), and the younger generation will be staying until we close at 11:30 p.m. We schedule our music to fit with that phenomenon.”

About 60,000 - 70,000 people are expected to attend, and Willett said parking is always an issue, but a shuttle service will run from Old Sacramento to other venues on J and L streets such as the Sheraton, and it will cost festivalgoers $5 for the whole weekend.

“We have a smorgasbord of music styles,” Willett said. “We have some of the best musicians in the world, but you might not have heard of them unless you’re really into jazz, like Banu Gibson & New Orleans Hot Jazz or the Black Dogs.”

For a list of musicians and groups, click here.

One band playing the festival has a special connection to Memorial Day Weekend: the Colorado National Guard’s 101st Army Dixieland Band from Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora, Colo.

“We’re making our 12th appearance at the jubilee,” said Musical Director Sgt. Lance Christensen. “Originally, we wanted to come because it was one of the largest jazz concerts in the world. We wanted to showcase our talents.”

The eight-piece band will be playing in the special tribute to veterans at 11:30 a.m. on Monday at the Firehouse Lot, near the intersection of L and Front streets. That event is free to service members.

For a map of music venues, click here.

“We and the audience get to thank our veterans,” Christensen said. “We always play patriotic music, all the service songs and, of course, we’ll also be playing ‘Taps’ for the veterans who are no longer here.”

He said the band members – most of whom are professional musicians or music teachers when they aren’t wearing fatigues – enjoy hearing the music of the other bands and consider it a form of musical training.

In addition to being a good event for music, it’s a good event for Sacramento, said Mike Testa, spokesman for the Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“For fans of music who travel to these types of events, Sacramento is known for this festival,” he said. “It’s very prestigious for us to hold this. We’ve got a lot of great musicians, and my only hope would be that we can make it even better than it already is.”

He said the draw is an economic boon to the city, and with people traveling specifically for the event, he said he hopes they extend their stay and stick around to see other sites in the area.

Willett said planning the event takes about six months, and it relies on the 2,200 volunteers who signed up this year as well as his “lean staff.”

He said he is most excited to listen to the diversification of music brought to the festival.

“It’s not your father’s or grandfather’s jazz jubilee,” he said. “We have that, but we also have other types of Americana – American-made music.”

Food vendors will be set up on the streets, and beer and other food items will be sold in the venues, Willett said.

Online ticket sales have closed for the event, but Willett said tickets can be purchased at the trailers set up throughout Old Sacramento, with the main hub at Second and K streets.

Tickets are $110 for the weekend or $45 per day. After 9:30 p.m., $10 will get you into a single venue, space permitting, to “get a feel for the music,” Willett said.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

A taste of Asia in downtown and Old Sac

2011-05-23T02:13:55Z

The streets of downtown and Old Sacramento were filled to the brim for the 19th Annual Pacific Rim Street Fest Sunday. According to Event chair Merlayna Yee-Chin, thanks to the beautiful weather, she was expecting to reach participant numbers of at least 40,000.

Yee-Chin has been involved with the event since the very beginning, which started 19 years ago as Frank Fat’s dream for people in the community to understand the large and growing Asian population in Sacramento.

“When we first started, people didn’t know or even really understand what it was, but that has changed over time,” Yee-Chin said. “This is an event that now takes about nine to 10 months to plan.”

This year’s spice-themed event boasted four entertainment stages throughout downtown, each providing audiences with at least six performances throughout the day. Yee-Chin said there was plenty to see and do during the festival, with 17 food vendors, 17 community and health organizations and 23 arts and crafts vendors, all in addition to a number of sponsor booths.

Attendees came out for reasons as diverse as the people present. But whether it was to learn more about the community or simply because it was nice out, people came in droves to take advantage of what the festival had to offer.

Roseville resident Rowena Asuncion had been at the event for a couple hours with friends and family during which they were able to enjoy the Polynesian dancers at the downtown stage.

Asuncion said, “It’s really all about the kids today though. While we’re Filipino, I really want to educate them about the various cultures out there. I’ve been to a lot of other festivals, but I like this one best so far. It’s the most diverse I’ve seen.”

Asuncion said she felt that the festival really illustrates how culturally diverse Sacramento actually is.

“We’ve been involved almost every year with the festival and think it’s a great opportunity to share our culture with the rest of the community,” said Dexter Labonog, head instructor of the Bahala Na Multi-Style Filipino martial arts group. “I think that’s what this festival is really about, sharing and educating the community, especially the children. A large part of our group is made up of the youth community. We find the best way to keep tradition and culture alive is by propagating it through them.”

Event volunteer Nick Mamola said the event is great for Sacramento, allowing people to experience the various cultures and providing great business for downtown and Old Sacramento.

“This is my second year volunteering, and I’ve always noticed that during the festival there are always so many more businesses open than normal.”

Kevin P. Nguyen, vice president of the Greater Sacramento Vietnamese American Chamber of Commerce, noted that the structure of the festival is exactly what they hope to pull together for the local Vietnamese community.

“The festival is a cultural event about the Asian community, but it’s not just the Asian community out here today,” he said. “It’s a melting pot of cultures. While the festival is set up to educate the community about its diversity, it is also helping out the economy by bridging the culture gap and providing business for the various vendors out there.”

Railroad museum seeks volunteers

2011-05-19T01:08:19Z

The California State Railroad Museum and Historic Park is calling all volunteers to enter its 50th volunteer academy – volunteers who, according to officials, are the museum’s backbone.

“We couldn’t run the museum without our docents. They are everything,” said Theresa Gonsolis, a guide and volunteer coordinator.

She added that the museum – founded in 1981 – is considered the premiere indoor railroad museum in the country.

Applications for the volunteer docent class are online and are being accepted through May 31, though Gonsolis said there is some “wiggle room” in the deadline.

“Our philosophy is: the more the merrier,” she said.

Docents are only required to work seven hours per month, which can be split up between two days or done in one day, she said, adding that many docents prefer to work more often – some several days per week.

Chip Fong became a volunteer docent nine years ago shortly after retiring from the California Highway Patrol.

“I like to tell people about the history,” he said. “Sacramento is ground zero for California history.”

Fong said working in the dining car in the museum is his favorite because it’s one of the best examples of an original dining car from an era when rail travel was far more common.

He has also worked on the active Sacramento Southern Railroad operated by the museum and other positions.

“It’s a great social life if you like to talk about the history of the railroad and what it did for America – it was the glue that held us together,” Fong said.

To be a docent, previous knowledge of the railroad is not required, Gonsolis said.

The volunteer course, which starts June 25, runs for four weeks and includes three-hour classes Monday and Wednesday evenings as well as seven-and-a-half-hour classes Saturdays.

After graduation, docents can go to work in one of several areas – the museum, the car shop (where train cars are cleaned and maintained), the signals group (which operates train signals), the model train exhibits on the second floor and others.

“We recommend shadowing other experienced docents for a little bit first,” Gonsols said. “They can learn even more from their wealth of knowledge.”

That knowledge is shared with the approximately 500,000 people who pass through the attraction every year.

School groups are common visitors, and 10-year-old fifth grader Cecilia Estrada of Berkeley said Wednesday that the docents were very helpful.

“I enjoyed the trains,” she said. “(The docents) told us really interesting stories about them.”

Cecilia said she thought the refrigeration car was interesting.

Gonsolis added that refrigeration cars allowed California produce to be transported all over the nation, making it the state’s “true gold” as part of the economy.

For more information about applying and an online application, click here.

“This is really a museum where the interaction we have with the public who come and visit is important,” Gosolis said. “(The volunteer docents) are what make our visitors so in awe of this museum.”

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

100 Years Later...We Won the Vote! Exhibition Debuts at Sacramento History Museum

2011-05-16T19:33:02Z

Nearly 100 years ago in a special election on October 10, 1911, women successfully won the right to vote in California. Now, two museums in Sacramento will celebrate the hard-earned victory for full voting rights for women with the compelling exhibition We Won the Vote! 100 Years of Equal Suffrage in California.

Produced jointly by The Center for Sacramento History and California State Parks, the exhibition will officially premiere at the Sacramento History Museum in Old Sacramento on Thursday, June 16, 2011. After a three-month display period at the Sacramento History Museum, the exhibition will move to the State Capitol Museum (located inside the State Capitol building) with an opening on October 1, 2011. The We Won the Vote! exhibition will remain at the State Capitol Museum through September 30, 2012.

The We Won the Vote! exhibition will showcase interactive displays, historical photographs, period campaign materials, clothing worn during the campaign, and oral histories designed to guide guests through the tumultuous history of the movement that resulted in a successful resolution in 1911. The Capital City was the stage where legislative and lobbying efforts culminated 100 years ago amid changing political, economic and social conditions. Triumphs in the West and in California -- the sixth western state to grant women the right to vote -- helped to build much needed electoral power and political support in the nation’s capital to ensure passage of the 19th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution that awarded women across America the right to vote in 1920.

Note: Traci Rockefeller Cusack represents a number of businesses and organizations throughout the greater Sacramento region including the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation.

Above-Ground Walking Tours Now Available in Old Sac!

2011-04-28T20:19:57Z

Above or below? That is the question.

In addition to the popular Old Sacramento Underground tour program already underway for the season, the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation is adding to the fun with intriguing “above ground” walking tours as well. On weekends beginning in May and continuing through August, two informative walking tours will be offered that include the following: Sacramento City: California’s Gold Rush Legacy Tour and From Canvas to Brick: Old Sacramento Architectural Tour.

For the Gold Rush Legacy Tours, docents in historically appropriate attire take guests on a journey back to the 1850s using original and reconstructed Gold Rush-era buildings as a compelling backdrop to describe what the town was like during that fascinating period in California’s history.

For the Old Sacramento Architectural Tours, guests are guided through Old Sacramento to see how the architecture of the buildings silently but assuredly reflects the compelling history of how Sacramento was transformed from a water-logged tent city -- with floods, fires and the Gold Rush along the way -- to a firmly established city and the state’s capital.

Beginning on May 1 and continuing all month, there is one above ground walking tour available each day starting at 11 a.m. On Saturday, the Sacramento City: California’s Gold Rush Legacy Tour is offered and on Sunday the From Canvas to Brick: Old Sacramento Architectural Tour is offered. Then, beginning in June and continuing through August, two tours are available each day and are scheduled as follows: Sacramento City: California’s Gold Rush Legacy Tour at 11 a.m. then the From Canvas to Brick: Old Sacramento Architectural Tour at 12:30 p.m.

All Old Sacramento walking tours last approximately one hour in length and guests are encouraged to wear comfortable shoes and be prepared to walk on uneven surfaces. Walking tours begin and end at the Sacramento History Museum located at 101 I Street in Old Sacramento. Above ground walking tours can be purchased in advance at www.historicoldsac.org or in person the day of the walking tour (if space is available).

The above ground and underground tour programs are coordinated by the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation (HOSF) and in partnership with the City of Sacramento, California State Parks, Old Sacramento Business Association and participating merchants and businesses.

Note: Traci Rockefeller Cusack represents a number of businesses and organizations in the greater Sacramento area including the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation.

It's Your Chance for Fun & Games -- “Casino Royale on the River”!

2011-04-04T19:35:30Z

Feeling lucky?

The Historic Old Sacramento Foundation (HOSF) is proud to present “Casino Royale on the River: Where Old Sacramento Meets Monte Carlo” aboard the Empress Hornblower at Old Sacramento’s waterfront on Friday evening, June 10, from 6-9 p.m. With at atmosphere filled with excitement, guests will be immersed in a full casino experience on three decks brimming with fun, food, entertainment and adventure.

Spirited guests are encouraged to arrive in black tie optional or historic attire and will be greeted by the Captain of the ship, music of the Gold Rush era and a glass of Sacramento’s new signature drink, The Gold Rush. While enjoying a leisurely cruise up the Sacramento River, guests will have the opportunity to learn 1850s-type gambling games such as Three Card Monte, Shut the Box, Faro and more. Each floor of the Empress offers a unique and lively experience: 1850s-style gambling on the first floor casino; the second floor offers the opportunity to delight in the taste of James Bond cuisine; and the third deck offers guests with the memorable chance to dance under the stars on the modern rooftop lounge.

Event tickets are available now and can be purchased by calling 916-808-7059, online at www.HistoricOldSac.org, or by visiting the Sacramento History Museum at 101 I Street. On the evening of the event, guests board the Empress Hornblower on the L Street Dock at 1206 Front Street, behind the Delta King Hotel (the Empress sails promptly at 7:15 p.m.).

All proceeds support the educational and interpretive programs of the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation which has been delivering quality historical programming exhibitions since 1985.

About the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation
The Historic Old Sacramento Foundation (HOSF) is a 501(c)3 public benefit corporation. Old Sacramento is a living historic district. The mission of HOSF is to convey the importance of historic Sacramento as a place that connects our past to our present and future through engaging and entertaining events, activities and programs. More information is available at www.historicoldsac.org.

Traci Rockefeller Cusack represents a number of organizations throughout the greater Sacramento region including the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation.

Shots Fired at Cafe New Orleans

2011-03-26T09:44:29Z

7 police cars, 3 shots fired, 2 people in the hospital, and 1 paddy wagon.

Enough is enough!

In my humble opinion Cafe New Orleans should shut down their Friday and Saturday night club scene. Its bad for Old Sacramento.

I hope tonight's shooting is a wake-up call...

How Low Can You Go? Old Sac Underground Tours Resume April 2!

2011-03-24T16:17:07Z

After a very successful inaugural year in 2010, tickets for the second season of Old Sacramento Underground tours are on sale now with a limited number still available for opening weekend on April 2 and 3, 2011.   With tour schedules fluctuating with the seasons, Old Sacramento Underground tours will continue through Sunday, November 27.   Interested tour participants are encouraged to check the website -- www.historicoldsac.org -- for tour dates, times and availability.

“We are absolutely thrilled with the overwhelmingly positive response to the underground tour program thus far,” said Marcia Eymann, Executive Director of the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation. “We look forward to another successful year and encourage both new and returning visitors to check out this unique, educational and entertaining experience in Old Sacramento.”

In fact, Old Sacramento has the distinction of being the only city in California to raise its streets in the 1860s through the 1870s to protect the city from devastating flooding. Tour participants explore excavated foundations and enclosed pathways while entertaining and knowledgeable tour guides recount the tales of the devastation, perseverance, and determination that led to California’s only successful street-raising project.

The Old Sacramento Underground tour program is coordinated by the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation (HOSF) and in partnership with the City of Sacramento, California State Parks, Old Sacramento Business Association and participating merchants and businesses.   While tour dates and times will be expanded in the summer months, the initial underground tour schedule as of April 2, 2011, is as follows: tours depart every 30 minutes from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays through May.

Tours of the underground last approximately one hour in length and check-in is located at the Sacramento History Museum, 101 I Street in Old Sacramento. Underground visitors will need to be prepared to walk on uneven surfaces in areas that have low ceilings and in occasional small spaces. Box office questions can be sent via email to scox@cityofsacramento.org and more information about Foundation membership is available by calling 916-808-7059.

About the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation
The Historic Old Sacramento Foundation (HOSF) is a 501(c)3 public benefit corporation. Old Sacramento is a living historic district.   The mission of HOSF is to convey the importance of historic Sacramento as a place that connects our past to our present and future through engaging and entertaining events, activities and programs. More information is available at www.historicoldsac.org.

Note: Traci Rockefeller Cusack represents a number of organizations in the greater Sacramento region including the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation.

Bagpipers bring Celtic culture, music to parade

2011-03-10T01:22:33Z

Gaelic music filled the air of St. Stephen the First Martyr Parish Tuesday afternoon as the St. Patrick’s Pipe Band of Sacramento prepared for the festivities of the upcoming week.

Youths ranging in age from 8 to 18 practiced everything from marching to timing and rhythm in preparation for St. Patrick’s Day performances at schools and the city’s parade on Saturday, March 12.

The holiday holds a special significance for Sacramento-area Catholics, said Band Manager Matthew White.

“St. Patrick is a co-patron of the Diocese of Sacramento,” he said. “When we formed back in 2005, we wanted to start something for Catholics, and we had a lot of interest (in a bagpipe band).”

Despite being chiefly composed of Catholics, the band is not exclusive, and one of the members is not Catholic.

“All we ask is that they respect our customs,” White said.

The band plays Scottish and Irish songs on Scottish bagpipes. Reeds for the instruments come from Ireland. Some of the songs are cultural tunes that derive from Gaelic chants, and others reflect the instrument’s development by the military.

The marches are in the style used by the military, and many of the tunes come from World War I, when bagpipers would advance with the infantry, facing machine gun fire from enemy trenches, White said.

Some of the songs the band plays are “Minstrel Boy,” “The Wearing of the Green” and “The Bloody Fields of Flanders.”

While the bagpipe is a fitting instrument for a mournful tune, band members also play upbeat music, including jigs.

Pipe Major Charlie Dana, 15, leads the group of pipers in practices and marches.

“I enjoy the different culture the music brings,” he said. “It’s unique, it gives a sense of thrill to the audience when they hear it, it gives a sense of thrill to me, and I find it very electrifying, so to speak.”

Charlie has been playing the bagpipes for three years and joined the band two years ago.

“We marched (in the parade) last year, and it went really well,” he said. “We’re definitely small, but we’ve got a unique sound.”

The band has about 15 members, and White said it has benefits for the youths beyond learning instruments.

“It teaches them leadership, and it gives them camaraderie,” he said. “We let them be as active as possible in making the decisions for the band.”

Matthew Murphy, 17, has been playing drums in the band for about three and a half years.

“The fraternal bond is always nice, having a family here (in the band),” he said.

“I love St. Patrick’s Day, so it will be fun to celebrate the spirit of that all around,” he said. “As a Catholic, I believe in St. Patrick, of course, and I love to celebrate him as a saint, but it’s also a great cultural holiday for me as an Irishman.”

Murphy said the hardest part about marching is generally hearing and communicating within the band. The physical steps are all memorized, but hearing the pipe major can be difficult.

White said visual directions are given by finger commands like hand signals, and the musicians must learn to watch for them and read them.

Noah De La Cruz, 17, has been in the band for three years and said he enjoys playing the pipes and learning new music.

De La Cruz said that when he arrived at the parade last year, he was a little bit late and had to join them while they were already marching.

“What really impressed me was just how professional they looked when I got there,” he said. “I was kind of proud knowing how professional we looked.”

The St. Patrick’s Day parade will be held in Old Sacramento on Saturday, March 12 and will begin at 1 p.m. on Second and L streets. For more information on parade details and the route, click here.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Tiny donut shop among Old Sacramento's new businesses

2011-03-08T02:18:52Z

Donut king Danny Johnson just opened one of Old Sacramento's newest businesses.

Johnson parlayed an infatuation with donuts into Danny's Mini Donuts – 30 years after putting himself through junior college by making donuts. Only this time, the donuts are really, really small.

Measuring 1 1/2 inches wide, a dozen of the plain light cake donuts contain about 13 grams of fat. Johnson also offers them topped with cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar, chocolate, vanilla or carmel seconds after frying them in a miniature donut maker. Candy sprinkles are optional.

Krispy Kreme uses the same kind of machine. That company's donut maker is about 15 feet long and 4 feet wide. Johnson's American-made Lil' Orbits donut machine is just 6 inches wide and less than 3 feet long, he said.

"It can make 1,200 donuts an hour. That's a lot of donuts," said Johnson inside the donut shop at 900 Second St.

The smell of hot, fresh donuts lures visitors to the open doors of the little shop, tucked into a corner at Pioneer Square. Johnson draws people inside with friendly conversation and free samples.

"I buy a dry donut mix. Then I add some secret ingredients," he said.

The tiny donut machine first caught his eye in 1977. Johnson took an 18-month vocational baking course right out of high school, then worked his way through junior college making donuts at Winchell's Donuts and another donut shop.

Three years ago, after being laid off from a middle management job with Catholic Healthcare West, Johnson bought a mini donut maker and went back into the business. He's been selling at fairs and festivals from Turlock to Chico. He opened the shop in Old Sacramento on March 1.

Johnson plans to add one or two ovens so he can offer cookies, fritters, cinnamon rolls and cupcakes.

"I'm going to start baking. Everything mini, though," he smiled.

The historic district has seen other movement in recent weeks, with some businesses opening and others closing.

A restaurant and bar called The Other Office and a home and garden store, Gabby Girl, both opened on Second Street.

Old Sacramento property owner Ben Mortel had a soft opening for The Other Office at 926 Second St., in December. He plans to extend the hours from 6 p.m. - 2 a.m. on weekends and special events only to 2 p.m. - 2 a.m. Wednesday through Sunday after St. Patrick’s Day on Thursday, March 17.

The menu offers sandwiches, salads and soup. Mortel said he's searching for a chef to serve Italian food.

A sign went up just last week. The location previously held Novo and Tunel 21, owned by Vlade Divac, his wife, Ana, and her sister, Jelica Orbovic. Orbovic is a silent partner in the new business.

Mortel owns the Blue Wing Saloon building containing the restaurant/bar, and two other buildings now connected inside: the Sazerac Building next door and the Colletti Drug building around the corner. A structural engineer, Mortel is also a partner in the Ebner Hotel/Empire House and other properties.

Frank Lloyd Wright apprentice John Lautner designed the Blue Wing Saloon's interior. That is reportedly the only work Lautner did in Sacramento, Mortel said.

"That is the actual reason I bought this crazy building," he said.

Gabby Girl opened last month at 1013 Second St. The shop sells products for the home and garden and women's accessories.

The Russian Collection, 1100 Second St., and Old Sacramento Airbrush & California Underground Novelty, 129 J St., have both closed. A jewelry store, Filthy Rich, also moved to a ground-floor shop at Pioneer Square in January.

Video by Suzanne Hurt, a staff reporter at The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @SuzanneHurt.

Mardi Gras Pub 'n Grub in Old Sac

2011-03-06T18:52:16Z

The streets of Old Sac were bustling last night as folks showed up to celebrate the second annual Mardi Gras Pub 'n Grub Crawl.

When I arrived around 6:15pm it was already looking busier than last year's event.

I roamed the streets and sauntered into Cafe New Orleans. It was already packed.

Old Sac featured venues with live music, food & drink specials, street entertainment, beads and costumes.

Here's some scenes from the early hours:

Businesses that were in the Mardi Gras spirit included:

Café New Orleans - Beignets & Hurricanes, featuring music by Sabor.
Crescent Club - Bal masque’ du Mardi Gras.
Fanny Ann's - Bayou Burger & Mardi Gras Flasher.
Laughs Unlimited - featuring music by Road Test & Mere Mortals, comic Cash Levy.
O'Mally's Pub - Jambalaya & Hurricanes, featuring music by MooseKnuckles.
RiverCity Saloon - Poor Boy Sandwich Special, featuring music by Western Lights and karaoke.
Delta King - Delta Bar & Grill - featuring music by Gordon Groft.
Fat City Bar & Café - Canjun Crab Cakes, Shirp Jambalaya, Blackened Swordfish & Bourbon Street Punch.

Check here for more events coming to Old Sac soon!

Old Sacramento Springs Into Action on April 2!

2011-03-02T17:23:02Z

With a special “Family Fun Day” and crowd-pleasing favorites such as the always popular steam-powered excursion train rides on the Sacramento Southern Railroad and the coveted second season of the intriguing underground tours, Old Sacramento bursts into spring full steam ahead on Saturday, April 2. With so much to do, guests to Old Sacramento are encouraged to spend the day exploring old favorites and unearthing new discoveries. Check it out:

“Pick Me! Family Fun Day” at the California State Railroad Museum - April 2 ONLY
In celebration of the new and visually exciting “Pick Me! Fruit Crate Art & the California Dream” exhibit, the California State Railroad Museum invites the community to a special “Family Fun Day” on Saturday, April 2, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free with admission to North America’s most popular train museum, guests will be treated to fun-filled activities such as hand-car rides inside the Museum, a produce-inspired scavenger hunt, kid-friendly Museum programs, create-your-own fruit labels, “California Grown” activity books, games puzzles and giveaways and more! For Museum admission information, go to www.csrmf.org.

Steam-Powered Excursion Train Rides - Start April 2
The California State Railroad Museum’s popular excursion railroad--the Sacramento Southern Railroad--officially returns to operation for the 28th consecutive season on Saturday, April 2, and will continue on weekends through September. Weekend excursion trains depart every hour on-the-hour from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and online tickets will soon be available at www.csrmf.org. Guests are treated to a six-mile, 40-minute roundtrip excursion along the levees of the Sacramento River. The train features a combination of vintage closed coaches with comfortable seats, and open-air “gondolas” with bench style seating.

Old Sacramento Underground Tours - Start April 2
After a very successful inaugural year with more than 10,000 underground tour tickets sold in 2010, Old Sacramento Underground tours will resume for a second season on Saturday, April 2, and continue through November. While tour dates will be expanded in the summer months, the initial underground tour schedule as of April 2 is as follows: on Saturdays and Sundays, tours depart every 30 minutes from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. through the month of May. Starting in June and continuing through August, tours will be available Thursdays through Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. departing every 30 minutes. Tour times change again in September and interested guests are encouraged to check the website for updated tour times and information.

Tours of the underground last approximately one hour in length and check-in is located at the Sacramento History Museum, 101 I Street in Old Sacramento. Underground visitors will need to be prepared to walk on uneven surfaces in areas that have low ceilings and in occasional small spaces. Coordinated by the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation (HOSF) and in partnership with the City of Sacramento, California State Parks, Old Sacramento Business Association and participating merchants and businesses, advance tickets for underground tours are available now for online purchase at www.historicoldsac.org.

With so much to do beginning on April 2, it's all in a day's play in Old Sacramento!

Note: Traci Rockefeller Cusack represents various organizations and businesses in Sacramento including the Capital District State Museums and Historic Parks.

Capital Stage to drop anchor on J Street

2011-02-04T02:18:21Z

A theater troupe that has made its home in a docked paddlewheel boat wants to trade its Sacramento River location for one in the heart of Midtown.

Capital Stage Company got its start in 2005 in a 115-seat theatre inside the Delta King, which is now a floating hotel and restaurant in Old Sacramento. The group opened its newest show, "Reasons To Be Pretty," there last Friday.

Now in their sixth season, the professional theater troupe's founders hope to increase the company's visibility and street presence by moving to busy J Street, a main artery through downtown and Midtown, co-founder and Producing Director Jonathan Williams said Thursday.

"I can't tell you how many times we've been called the 'best-kept secret in Sacramento,' " Williams said. "No business wants to be the best-kept secret."

The company's other founders are Producing Artistic Director Stephanie Gularte and Marketing Director Peter Mohrmann. Keith Riedell is the general manager.

Williams, the project manager, said they hope to start work next month to turn an old gun shop into a 125-seat, urban-modern theater. They took over the lease for a building at 2215 J St., where the Old Sacramento Armoury had operated for decades. To make sure no one misses the new location, they painted the front exterior red.

Their renovation plans are currently being considered by the city's zoning administrator. A public hearing on the plans and building permit may be scheduled for Feb. 24.

But first, the company's founders are scheduled to meet Wednesday with members of the Midtown Neighborhood Association to address concerns. The founders have discussed the plans with two other neighborhood groups. The primary issue involves parking, Williams said.

The number of parking spaces businesses are required to have depends partly on occupancy and hours of operation. The troupe has applied for a parking waiver with conditions that are still being determined.

The theater may be required to lease 32 or more off-street parking spaces for performances, but that number is also being determined, said city Associate Planner Robert Williams, who is no relation to the troupe's co-founder.

An arrangement is being discussed with the owner of a parking lot across the street, Jonathan Williams said.

"We're very aware that parking is a big issue for people," he said. "We've been working on a plan that will make everyone happy about this moving forward."

The old gun shop may seem like an odd place to build a theatre at first. But the building's impenetrable construction actually works. The absence of windows means no light needs to be blocked. The thick concrete walls make the structure pretty soundproof, he said.

Capital Stage Company has raised half of the $300,000 budgeted for the renovation through a private campaign. On Friday, the company launched its public campaign.

Supporters can get their names added to the new theater's walls or seats by donating $2,500 or $1,000, respectively. People can also donate any amount through the troupe's website. The company plans to open the theater in time for its seventh season, which starts in September.

The troupe has aimed for a niche by offering intimate performances of cutting-edge plays. The stage will grow from about 500 square feet to 720 square feet in the new theater. But the company won't have to sacrifice intimacy – seats will be placed on three sides of the three-quarter thrust stage, keeping all theatergoers close to the stage.

Sacramento doesn't have many small- to mid-sized theaters, and many companies can't afford a space of their own. Capital Stage Company has had "a great run" at the Delta King, he said.

"It's actually a really nice little theater," Williams said.

The Delta King Theatre packs a lot of character with its on-ship location and wooden seats. However, about 15 seats have only partial views of the stage. The capacity of the new space will allow the company to keep growing, he said.

"We cut our teeth in this space. We figured out how to be who we are in this space," Williams said Thursday as he sat in the theater. "As we are evolving and growing up, we need our own home now."

Jonathan Williams, co-founder and producing director of Capital Stage Company, discusses plans for a new theatre at the company's present home, the Delta King paddlewheel boat.

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @SuzanneHurt.

Museums free on Saturday

2011-02-04T02:09:21Z

Sacramentans will have the opportunity to be tourists in their own city Saturday as 26 area museums waive their admission fees.

The 13th annual free museum day will take place from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Saturday.

“It reminds people who live here what great museums we have in this city,” said Mike Testa, spokesman for the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau. “The ultimate goal is to get more visitors in the museums.”

Event organizers offered tips on getting the most out of the experience:

“We encourage people not to try to hit 26 museums in a day,” said Delta Pick Mello, spokeswoman for the Sacramento Association of Museums. “We encourage people to pick out two or maybe three museums they really want to visit.”

She added that seeing some of the smaller museums is a good idea, since the larger ones are typically more crowded.

“I’ve always liked the Museum of Medical History,” Testa said. “It has all the tools they used way back when. Seeing all the tools of the doctor really makes you appreciate how good we have it today, even though no one likes to go to the doctor.”

The free entrance day is an idea going back more than a decade and is designed by the Sacramento Association of Museums to promote the museums to the public, who might not otherwise get to know them all.

“The Sacramento Association of Museums formed with the idea of promoting the museums we have right in our own backyard,” Mello said. “We wanted people to know they don’t have to leave the area to see great museums.”

The event has seen its success grow each year, and last year’s Museum Day saw 85,000 visitors come through the doors.

This year, a free shuttle service is being offered for many of the museums in the area, Mello said.

“We have free shuttle buses from the California Museum at 10th and O (streets),” she said. “Five routes take them to various locations in the city.”

Most museums stop allowing entrance at 4 p.m. and close at 5. Shuttles run until then, and Mello said they will ensure visitors get back to where they started.

According to the Sacramento Association of Museums, participating museums are:

Aerospace Museum of California
California Automobile Museum
The California Museum
California State Military Museum
California State Capitol Museum
California State Indian Museum
California State Railroad Museum
Crocker Art Museum
Discovery Museum Science and Space Center
The Don and June Salvatori California Pharmacy Museum
Fairytale Town
Folsom History Museum
Governor’s Mansion State Historic Park
Heidrick Ag History Center (Woodland)
Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park
Museum of Medical History
Old Sacramento Schoolhouse Museum
Old Sacramento State Historic Park
Sacramento Zoo
Sacramento Historic City Cemetery
Sacramento History Museum
Sojourner Truth Multicultural Arts Museum
Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park
Wells Fargo History Museum (Old Sacramento and downtown locations).

The California Foundry History Museum is located at 5301 Price Ave., North Highlands.

Old Sacramento's New Year's Celebration

2011-01-03T21:12:25Z

Many things were happening during this New Year’s Eve. With no rain in sight Old Sacramento looked like a nice place to be. Thousands of people made their way to Old Sacramento increasing traffic all around and finding a parking space downtown even that much more difficult.

As with last year, there were many events planned throughout the evening. The Natomas Night Hawks Drum Corps started off the evening a little after 6 p.m., at Waterfront Park. Unlike many venues scheduled for New Year’s Eve, this was an event meant for the whole family.

The evening was a great event but there were several confrontations that sparked throughout the evening that detracted from the evening’s fun. Sacramento Police and security did a great job preventing any of these from getting out of control.

Waterfront Park housed family entertainment with the Radio Disney Rockin’ Road Crew doing a great job entertaining the younger audience. Radio Disney crew kept things going in smooth fashion. The DJ played songs that most of the audience seem to know and sang along. Most attractions involved children from the audience and in some cases their parents.

The Diplomatz, a youth hip-hop group, entertained the audience, under the Waterfront Park tent. They also included audience participation as part of their performance.

Mayor Kevin Johnson also took the stage, under the Waterfront Park tent, to wish everyone a Happy New Year and give a shout-out for the Sacramento Kings.

Around 9 p.m., a New Year’s fireworks show awed the audience. Two fireworks extravaganza shows were put on during the evening. The first one at 9 was done in order for children to enjoy the show and also in anticipation that they may be going home soon after.

Purple Haze, a Jimi Hendrix tribute band, played on J and Front Streets and mesmerized the audience with many Hendrix tunes. Ralph Woodson and his band played at last year’s New Year’s Eve show in Old Sacramento as well.

Hip Trash and Friends took the same stage and played a set for a crowd that kept growing. They entertained the audience with a blend of blues, rockabilly and jazz tunes. Another tribute band played under the white tent. Arrival, a Journey tribute band, played to the delight of many spectators.

Obsidian Butterfly put on a couple of shows on Front and K Street. The fire dancers were also here last year and made a return to the delight of those that gathered around to watch them perform. Several of the fire dancers that are part of Obsidian Butterfly have been with the group for quite a while now. Several audience members wondered what it takes to be a fire dancer. If you’d like to find out more about Obsidian Butterfly log on to their website and follow planned events throughout 2011.

The second fireworks show began with the countdown at midnight. Hugs and kisses flowed as did wishes for a happy new year. Minutes after the fireworks show ended thousands of fans began their trek back to their cars.

Sacramento police, security and traffic control handled the event quite admirably and helped make this a great family event. It’s a long way to next New Year’s Eve in Old Sacramento but if you’re looking for a family friendly event to celebrate New Year’s this is the place to be.

Council members discuss Central City

2010-12-16T02:42:44Z

Sacramento’s Central City has received a lot of media attention for shootings and muggings in recent months. However, the area is also frequently in the spotlight because of large-scale development projects, such as the downtown Railyards or George Karpaty’s trio of businesses on K Street.

The Sacramento Press recently interviewed three City Council members to learn about their plans for the Central City. Councilwoman Angelique Ashby and Councilmen Steve Cohn and Rob Fong shared their priorities for the different parts of the Central City they represent.

Ashby’s portion of the area includes the downtown Railyards, K Street, Old Sacramento, Alkali Flat and the River District. Ashby mentioned the Railyards and K Street Mall as examples of key development sites in her district.

“Some of the best opportunities in the city lie in the downtown portion of District 1,” she said.

As an elected official, she said she wants to help avoid hurdles in the development process. “In my position, I can help make sure they get those projects done in a timely manner,” she said.

Ashby also said she wants to be a behind-the-scenes facilitator for the various groups involved with projects in the area. Stakeholder groups involved with Central City development projects, such as community members, government agencies and environmental organizations, need a “point person” at City Hall, she said, adding that she wants to take on that role.

Public safety in her district, and throughout the city, is a key priority, Ashby said.

Cohn, too, emphasized public safety when asked about his work in District 3. His section of the Central City includes Midtown and part of downtown. His district’s stretch of K Street starts at 16th Street and heads east.

He pointed out the shooting death of a 24-year-old that occurred after a Second Saturday Art Walk event in September. Cohn also mentioned that the neighborhood has bar and nightlife issues. He said he wants neighborhoods and businesses to work together to solve public safety and public nuisance issues in Midtown. In his view, Midtown’s development has been a success, he said.

“I want to make sure it can continue to succeed and not be a victim of its own success,” he said.

On a different topic, he said work is under way to enhance Sutter’s Landing Park on the northeast edge of Midtown.

Meanwhile, Fong said he was excited about the R Street streetscape project in his district. Fong’s piece of the Central City includes part of Midtown and downtown. The street improvements will make the street more pedestrian-friendly and inviting, he said.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the effort to revamp the street with new lighting and parking enhancements was held in September. The street will be remodeled from 10th to 13th streets.

Click on the following links to view maps of City Council Districts 1, 3 and 4.

Learn more about some of Ashby’s priorities for North and South Natomas here.

Photos of Cohn and Fong by Brandon Darnell. Photo of Ashby by David Watts Barton.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Homeward Bound

2010-12-15T20:34:55Z

The Hawaiian Chieftain motors along the Sacramento River this morning towards the I-80 overpass and onward to the ocean as it heads home to Grays Harbor in Aberdeen, WA. The topsail ketch arrived in Old Sacramento October 15, 2010 to provide Adventure Sails and on-board tours.

For more information on Hawaiian Chieftain, CLICK HERE>>>

Sac Press Photo | Kati Garner

Tower Bridge turns 75

2010-12-15T01:41:29Z

One of Sacramento’s iconic landmarks, Tower Bridge, celebrates its 75th anniversary Wednesday.

At its inauguration on Dec. 15, 1935, the opening was heralded with the release of about 100 homing pigeons, who carried the news throughout the state.

Although it’s now a lot easier to spread news, Caltrans spokesman Mike Dinger said the bridge operates with the same basic equipment it has for the past three quarters of a century.

“We’ve made some upgrades for safety, but it’s almost all the original equipment,” he said.

Bridge construction began in July of 1934, using some of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal funds for the project, which was estimated to cost $700,000. The final price came in at $994,000.

That price, in today’s dollars, would be $50 million - $60 million, Dinger said, adding that today’s monthly maintenance costs come in at about $24,000.

The project was supposed to be done in November of 1935, but weather pushed the completion date to mid-December.

“They had a really heavy winter that year, and work got delayed,” said Rich Newell, a senior mechanical engineer for Caltrans.

Tower Bridge replaced a bridge on the same spot that had been constructed in 1910 by the Sacramento Northern Railroad, according to a 1936 issue of California Highways and Public Works.

That bridge had been a swinging steel drawbridge, and by the 1930s, it couldn’t handle the amount of traffic efficiently.

Newell said Tower Bridge was built to relieve traffic congestion, which was attributed to choking off commerce from Sacramento during the Great Depression.

According to the 1936 California Highways and Public Works article, in the 25 years that the old bridge had been in use, automobile traffic increased 700 percent in volume and 500 percent in speed, making the cantilevered roadways inadequate.

During construction of the current span, about 1,500 jobs were generated, and all the materials came from California, Dinger and Newell said.

The metal “skin” over the steel frame on the towers was designed to give it an art deco feel, Newell said.

When the bridge opened, it was painted a silver color to represent aluminum, and was later painted “an unfortunate shade of ochre” before being painted the current gold color in the early 2000s, said Bridge Operator Scott Bennett, who has been working on the bridge for about a decade.

The railroad stopped using the bridge in the 1960s, according to Dinger.

Dinger added that the bridge – about 730 feet long – is technically State Route 275, the shortest state highway in California.

Bennett said he raises the bridge about four times per day, but it varies based on river traffic.

When the bridge is raised and lowered – traveling about 1 foot per second – about 5,000,000 pounds are in motion, and it’s all accomplished by the two 100-horsepower electric motors in the control room between the towers.

If electric power goes out, there are backups in place.

Cameras – that Bennett uses to ensure traffic is clear of the bridge – are backed up by the original periscopes in the control room and mirrors on the outside edges of the span. An original 1930s gasoline engine can handle all the heavy lifting.

The bridge’s birthday will be celebrated by Caltrans officials, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson and West Sacramento Mayor Chris Cabaldon from 9 - 10 a.m. Wednesday on Promenade Circle behind the nearby Embassy Suites.

At about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, as part of the anniversary celebration, the bridge will be raised to allow the sailing ship “Hawaiian Chieftain” to pass. Bennett said the ship gives rides from Old Sacramento for about three months each year.

“It’s been 75 years, and it’s still doing fine,” Newman said. “It’s a testament to the original engineers.”

Exterior and historic photos courtesy Caltrans. Control room photos by Brandon Darnell, staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Historical reference documents provided by the Center for Sacramento History.

Light Up the Night in Old Sacramento for a FREE New Year's Eve Sky Spectacular!

2010-12-14T18:06:15Z

Looking for a festive (and free!) way to ring in the New Year?

Following a New Year’s Eve tradition 11 years in the making, visitors to Old Sacramento will be treated to a free New Year’s Eve celebration all along the waterfront. Prior to the two dazzling firework shows scheduled to light up the night sky at 9 p.m. and midnight, the festive community event also features live music, food and drink vendors and a variety of lively street entertainment, all taking place throughout Old Sacramento and lasting from 6 p.m. until 12:30 a.m. Of special interest to children and families, kid-friendly entertainment will be provided from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. under the tent in Waterfront Park.   The free celebratory evening activities are produced by the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Guests to Old Sacramento can enjoy two different firework shows -- both stunning and memorable -- as part of the high-energy community celebration. Choreographed to pop music and other family-friendly tunes, the exciting 9 p.m. fireworks show will be tailored to children and families. This early show will last more than 10 minutes in length and can be seen from virtually any vantage point in Old Sacramento. Then at midnight, the “main event” sky concert will be scripted to crowd-pleasing classic rock tunes by musical legends such as Aerosmith, Twisted Sister and Bruce Springsteen, to name a few. The midnight fireworks extravaganza will last nearly 15 minutes in length and originate from both land and the iconic Tower Bridge, providing even more depth and visual intensity.

Both shows promise to take revelers on an emotional journey filled with twists, turns and heart-pounding inspiration. Additionally, guests are encouraged to keep an eye out for a variety of today’s high-end fireworks shaped as hearts or willows, with flashing strobes or even color-changing shells that burst into multiple hues.

The special children’s programming will feature the Radio Disney Rockin’ Road Crew, Hip Trash & Friends (a talented hip-hop dance crew new to event this year), and a variety of other live entertainment performances sure to delight young audiences. Throughout the evening, other highly anticipated entertainment will include Arrival: A Tribute to Journey, the Ralph Woodson Experience, a Jimi Hendrix Tribute Band, the Obsidian Butterfly fire dancers, and more.

Ample pre-pay parking is available in all Old Sacramento and Downtown Plaza parking garages.   In preparation for the evening activities, the Tower Bridge will be closed to vehicle traffic from 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. For additional safety, the bridge will be closed to pedestrian traffic for 15 minutes leading up to and after each of the two firework shows.

For more information about times, locations, hotel recommendations or other event details, call 916-808-7777 or visit www.nyesacramento.com

Disclosure: Traci Rockefeller Cusack handles media and public relations for various local clients and events

The Au Brother's jazz it up at Crescent Club Speakeasy

2010-12-13T07:50:58Z

The Au Brothers band brought hot New Orleans jazz and jazz improvisation to the Crescent Club Speakeasy Saturday to an enthusiastic crowd of 30-plus for a night of celebration of an all-too-infrequent pairing—young musicians and “trad” (traditional) jazz.

Although Gordon Au was unable to play Saturday, the band made up of Brandon Au, Justin Au, Shelley Denny and Nahum Zdybel serenaded the audience with standard jazz jams such as “Pretty Baby” (1916), “Fly Me to the Moon” (1954) and Louis Armstrong’s personal favorite, according to Brandon Au, “Struttin’ with Some Barbecue” (1927), all written before the Au Brothers’ time.

The songs had a swing and an exciting rhythmic pulse, even without a drummer, thanks to the percussiveness and precision of the rhythm section, Zdybel on guitar and Denny on bass.

Justin and Brandon Au showed a slyness to their playing usually reserved for much older musicians. Staying within the trad jazz idiom, Justin on trumpet used a variety of mutes and techniques that were by turns brash, playful and insinuating. He also broke out an unlikely horn—a marching trombone, which allowed him to play tenor duets with his brother.

Brandon, likewise, stayed primarily with his trombone, but also picked up what looked like a small baritone horn for variety. Brandon showed a full-out virtuosity on his instrument, and, like Justin, showed a variety of techniques that made his solos unpredictable and nuanced.

Brandon, 28, and Justin, 23, have been playing this style of music for over 10 years now and showed veterans’ savvy in their playing.

“Since we’re a family and we’ve played together for so long, sometimes he can complete my sentences almost, but in a musical sense,” Brandon said.

Both the Aus quoted freely from recognizable melodies in their solos, and listeners were chuckling and nodding at the wit that both brothers’ playing showed. When playing together, the brothers exhibited a seeming effortlessness in the Dixieland tradition of both improvising on the melody at the same time.

Zdybel also showed virtuoso skills in his guitar solos, as well as driving the beat for all three quick-tempo sets. Denny was a solid backbone, always driving the rhythm forward with his excellent time, even during Zdybel’s solos when he was the sole rhythm instrument.

Brandon also showcased a delightful singing voice, scattering solo verses, both with lyrics and scat-singing, throughout the evening, without a microphone. His singing showed a musicality and an easy humor that was totally in keeping with the rest of the night’s music.

“It’s a really nice experience playing this improvisational music,” Brandon said. “A lot of it’s just responding to what’s going on around you, and that’s what jazz is.”

The Au Brothers — rejoined by Gordon Au later this month — are performing at a number of “Home for the Holidays” concerts in the area.

Their next show will be at the Crescent Club Speakeasy on Dec. 31. Tickets can be purchased here for $35 or at the door for $60.

Crescent Club Speakeasy is located at 1150 Firehouse Alley in Old Sacramento.

For more information on the Au Brother’s and upcoming events, click here.

"Theater of Lights" brings holiday charm to Old Sac

2010-11-29T03:40:27Z

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Old Sacramento, what with Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, stepping out onto the Shasta House balcony for readings of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” and all.

Volunteer actors from the Old Sacramento Living History Program played the roles of Clemens, Santa Claus, and an anonymous sleeper roused awake by the loud crash of Santa’s sleigh in the holiday production “Theater of Lights.”

The quaint historic portion of K Street between Second and Front streets became the audience floor as a theatrical light show was presented from the balconies of buildings on either side Saturday night.

Production and inspiration for this event began last year by Stage Nine Entertainment Group owner Troy Carlson.

“We wanted to develop a Christmas program that was not only historical but also entertaining,” Carlson said.

Historical lessons of the night came from a narration provided by the Clemens character, who revealed that Sacramento was known in his time as the “city of saloons” and had a reputation for kindness.

“Our ultimate goal is to make this not only a regional but a statewide draw as something that people plan as part of their holiday celebration to come and see,” Carlson said.

With a team of decorators, scriptwriters and actors volunteering months in advance, the first show of this year began the day after Thanksgiving and will run two shows daily Thursday through Sunday at 6 and 7:30 p.m. through the first week of January.

Sound effects, provided by George Lucas’ Skywalker Sound, broadcast in stereo. The narration is enhanced by the lively sounds of jingle bells, holiday cheer and lights beaming to life.

“It’s the same type of sound you’d get when going to a movie,” Carlson said.

As the Polar Express steam train rumbled its way to a stop nearby, a sense of magic and nostalgia added to the night’s ambiance. A towering Christmas tree at the intersection of K and Front streets was lit up by Christmas stockings and sugar plum lights, illuminating in sequence with the narrator’s cues.

Roseville resident Kat Durr didn’t know about the event but happened upon it while enjoying an evening of shopping with a friend.

“It was cute, ” she said. “I liked the lights.”

Some 200 people stood in the middle of the street, mesmerized as the first of two 20-minute shows came to life around them. According to Carlson, about 20,000 people enjoyed last year’s production throughout the course of the holiday season.

Seattle resident Kelsey Ryland proved that it’s not only regional visitors who are enjoying the festive charm of Old Sacramento during the holidays.

“The lights were fabulous and it was so well orchestrated,” Ryland said. “I don’t always love the holidays, but this was awesome.”

Photos courtesy of Laurieann Cunningham

Old Sacramento’s “Theatre of Lights” Sparkles

2010-11-27T00:08:50Z

There’s something wonderful happening in Old Sacramento this season. It may well be the only original seasonal expression to come along in many years, and it’s a delight for the whole family.
Yes, the shops are filled with marvelous, unique gifts and the restaurants shine with decorations of every kind. Traditional Christmas music propels the hum-along crowds from place to place. But something special happens after dark—it’s the second year that the Old Sacramento Theatre of Lights transforms the familiar streets into a wonderland of light, sound, and history.

On Thanksgiving Eve, the newly expanded show debuted with the help of Mark S. Allen of Good Day Sacramento, newly elected District 1 City Council Member Angelique Ashby, and our crowd-pleasing Mayor Kevin Johnson. It was very cold, but several hundred folks turned out to hear the Salvation Army Band play familiar carols while the River Cats’ Dinger danced before the giant Christmas tree with some of the littlest guests. When the Mayor flipped the switch to light the tree—after the obligatory, enthusiastic countdown—there was plenty of oohing and aahing to be heard.

And then for the next 20 minutes the audience, standing enthralled in the middle of K Street, was thoroughly entertained by an extravaganza of lights, sounds, and visual effects. Mark Twain appeared on the balcony above Evangeline’s and introduced the familiar poem “T’was the Night Before Christmas”, which was first published in The Sacramento Bee in 1857. On the balcony of the venerable What Cheer Building, the poem came to life in splendid style, complete with St. Nick, the eight tiny reindeer, and Papa (Allen) at the window.
The free event is produced by Stage Nine (conveniently located in the What Cheer building), with wonderful effects from Skywalker Sound and Sacramento Theatrical Lighting. The audience is bolstered by strolling living history characters in authentic 1850’s costumes, including Father Christmas. The street fair atmosphere is enhanced by the tempting aroma of fresh roasted nuts and steaming hot chocolate and spiced cider. And everywhere there are families: extended families, toddlers to teenagers, elders with lawn chairs, moms and dads with babes in arms and little ones perched on shoulders.

Melissa Martinez of the Old Sacramento Business Association says that the event hosted 20,000 people last year, and with the expanded and improved light and sound this year, they hope to draw many more visitors this season. The Ebner and the Empire buildings have been restored and are now open and occupied, said Sheri Smith, senior program manager with the Sacramento Office of Economic Development. And Mike Ault of the Downtown Business Partnership wants everyone to know that this is a great place to bring the family. The collaborative efforts of these three organizations are focused on bringing more people, especially more families, into Downtown and Old Sacramento for shopping, dining, entertainment, and cultural events and activities.

The Theatre of Lights will continue to thrill crowds with two performances, at 6 pm and 7:30pm every Thursday through Sunday nights throughout the holiday season (dark on Christmas). There will be a few special guests throughout the run, and Santa is available for photos after each performance at The Christmas Shoppe.

For an interactive view of K Street lights: http://photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=be7c5452-a983-4dd2-a1c5-5efb71e62239&&t=False

For more information, please visit: http://www.oldsacramento.com or http://www.oldsactheatreoflights.com

SacPress Photos | Kati Garner

Downtown Plaza loses tree, lighting

2010-11-24T04:40:56Z

Sacramento’s holiday lights will shine a little less brightly this season when Westfield Downtown Plaza goes without a giant Christmas tree for the first time in 30 years.

Without a tree, the annual day-after-Thanksgiving tree lighting ceremony at the mall's Seventh and K streets entrance also won't be held. However, the plaza is likely to be the only place in Sacramento with a little snow this winter after artificial snow-making machines are set up in a children's play area.

Sacramentans can enjoy two other Christmas tree lightings. Old Sacramento will light up its huge tree at 6 p.m. Wednesday at K and Front streets, followed by a light show and more to set the historic district sparkling. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will host a tree lighting ceremony at the state Capitol at 5 p.m. Dec. 7.

The plaza has had a tree averaging about 50 feet tall for the last 29 years, Plaza Marketing Director Raelene Trumm said.

"We're not doing the tree this year," Trumm said. "There's a tree lighting at Old Sacramento and one at the Capitol, so it seemed to get lost in the middle."

Westfield Downtown Plaza is the title sponsor of the ice-skating rink, which lies in St. Rose of Lima Park across the street from the Seventh and K streets entrance. Management decided to decorate the entire plaza with about 16 smaller Christmas trees, Christmas lights and window decorations rather than focus on one end. On Tuesday, crews began installing trees, Trumm said.

"We just wanted to add more Christmas atmosphere throughout the mall," said Trumm, adding that the economy and work at the Seventh and K entrance also contributed to the decision. She couldn't say whether there would be a tree at the plaza next year.

Macy’s Christmas store has temporarily set up shop in the second-floor space vacated by Banana Republic, near the K and Seventh streets entrance.

In Old Sacramento, a crew of four used an 80-foot boom to decorate the 5,000-pound, 50-foot blue spruce trucked in from Carlton Christmas Trees, a farm near Mt. Shasta. The crew strung up more than 4,000 lights: traditional colored Christmas tree lights, icicle lights, twinkle and flicker lights, and strobes. Ornaments range from plastic candy, bells and balls to handmade ornaments celebrating the 1857 poem, "The Night Before Christmas."

At least eight people helped decorate buildings and install lighting and sound equipment, said Old Sacramento Business Association Executive Director Melissa Martinez.

The district is adding holiday scenes and expanding the Theatre of Lights, a light and sound show begun last year. The 20-minute show will operate at 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Thursdays through Sundays, throughout the season. On certain nights, Old Sacramento will also host Santa and other street performers, TV personalities and vendors selling cocoa and spiced nuts.

"This is the best year yet," Martinez said. "We've really concentrated on bringing it up to a different level and increasing the wow factor."

Photos of Christmas tree installations at the state Capitol and in Old Sacramento by Katie Garner. Other photos by Suzanne Hurt, a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Christmas in the Air in Old Sac

2010-11-08T20:03:18Z

4,000 pounds of evergreen arrived in Old Sacramento early this morning.

It stands about 55 ft tall and had to be put in place by crane. It left its home near Mt Shasta a day ago. The near-perfect-shaped Christmas tree is now in place at K and Front St.

Old Sac's Christmas tree is lowered to the ground above it's new home for the holidays.

Ron Shoffitt, left, of Maxim Crane Works and Joe Roberson of Carlton Christmas Trees, remove the flag and lights from the tip of the tree sticking from the rear of the truck that hauled it to Old Sac.

Up, up and away it goes.

Some lower limbs are buzzed off before lowering the massive evergreen into its base.

The holidays are rapidly approaching. They're happening……….deal with it.

Tell the old curmudgeon within to go to its happy place.

Here's the Old Sac Christmas schedule, so please mark your calendars:

The holidays start in Old Sacramento the week of Thanksgiving as the historic business district prepares for the annual Old Sacramento Tree Lighting and Theatre of Lights.

On November 24, the Tree Lighting festivities begin at 6:00 p.m. and will include live performances, a visit from Father Christmas and much more.
Visitors can join the fun and watch as Mayor Kevin Johnson flips the switch to light the tree at 6:30p.m.

Back for the second year, event-goers will experience the Old Sacramento Theatre of Lights.

That night at 6:30p.m. a symphony of lights, sounds and visual effects will take the audience back to a time when the beloved poem The Night Before Christmas was first introduced in Sacramento in 1857.

The Old Sacramento Theatre of Lights will run two 20-minute light shows throughout the holiday season Thursdays through Sundays at 6:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Decorations for the tree and around Old Sac will go up the end of this week.

SacPress Photos | Kati Garner

Old Sac Aglow

2010-11-08T17:33:27Z

After a stormy weekend, the rising sun glows in the the glass tower atop the Ebner Hotel in Old Sacramento early this morning.

SacPress Photo | Kati Garner

Workshops tackle safe bar operations

2010-11-05T00:53:02Z

Nightclub safety will be discussed at upcoming workshops offered by local business organizations.

The Downtown Sacramento Partnership, Midtown Business Association and Old Sacramento Business Association are hosting two sessions this month.They are part of a series aimed at educating bar and restaurant owners and staff about their responsibilities, as well as state laws and city regulations.

The free workshops are open to businesses, DJs and club promoters in Old Sacramento, downtown and Midtown.

Rapper B-Smoove and other experts in Sacramento's hip hop scene recently agreed to lead a panel on managing hip hop nights so that they stay free from the violence that shut down clubs like Elements. Other discussions will tackle many "gray areas" involved with bar operation, entertainment permits and special events, said DSP Director of Community Services Ryan Loofbourrow.

"We plan on doing this on a regular basis, so as trends happen or new regulations take effect, we can include those," he said Thursday. "We want to make sure all of our establishments are up to date on all the procedures."

On Nov. 9, a hip hop panel will talk about how business owners can build successful clubs and reputations by enforcing tight security at the door, banning bad behavior inside clubs and offering "true" hip hop – rather than gangsta rap or other music with violent lyrics, MBA Operations Manager Aja Uranga-Foster said.

B-Smoove will be joined by Michael W. Benjamin II of Low End Theory Collaborative, hip hop club promoter Mike Jordan and Brian "Abs" Washington, a musician, promoter, personal trainer and bouncer. The panel will be held from 1 - 2 p.m. at the Crest Theatre, 1013 K St.

Some bars have stopped offering hip hop events, while others have developed bad reputations and even lost permits or licenses for repeated violence. The panel will discuss how music lyrics and beats can influence mood and behavior inside a club, she said.

Two people were shot and killed outside Elements, 805 15th St., in 2004. Robert Zarco was gunned down in revenge after he shot and killed 26-year-old Elias Sanchez in front of his wife. The club stopped holding hip hop nights after the shooting. Its permit was later revoked. The club was sold and the place reopened as Avalon.

"They're going to talk about how to maintain a high standard and play good hip hop that doesn't just appeal to a 'low-end crowd,' " Foster said. "They themselves (the panelists) don't go out to clubs because they want to hear true hip hop, but they don't like the behavior that is allowed at some clubs."

That panel will be followed by a workshop on responsible beverage service from 2 - 5 p.m. Jerry Jolly, the former director of the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, will explain state regulations involving alcohol sales and promotions, how to turn away intoxicated customers and how to communicate with ABC agents.

Another Pubs, Clubs and Bars Security Training workshop will be held on bar security and operations from 2 - 5 p.m. Nov. 16 at the California Military Museum, 1119 Second St. Sacramento Police Sgt. Monty "Max" Maxwell, with the department's entertainment team, will cover city entertainment permits, requirements for security operations, how to recognize people too intoxicated to buy more liquor, fire safety and other issues, Loofbourrow said.

"Bars are responsible for the behavior of customers," he said. "This will help bar operators and security know what to look for."

Photo by Brandon Darnell.

Where To Go Halloween Weekend And Not Lose Your Wallet

2010-10-27T22:46:50Z

Cancelation of the long running Exotic Erotic Ball in San Francisco? Are Sacramento's Exotic Ball ticket sales going to be down due to the economy?

It seems as Halloween is upon us many Sacramentins are looking for more economical night time parties this year and I thought I would take the time to give out some information on some upcoming night time events in the Sacramento area that wont break your wallet.

Saturday Night:

The 5hundy.net / calpubcrawl.com group will be having there annual pub crawl starting in midtown, then snaking its way into Old Sacramento. The Crawl starts at 6.30 at Shady Lady and ending in Old Sacramento at River City Saloon & Vega's. Details at http://www.calpubcrawl.com/

98 Rock will be down at the New Shenanigans Pub in Downtown on J Street for " Halloween Mayhem on J Street " details at http://www.jstreetshenanigans.com

Halloween at the Hive, a sober party 7pm to midnight @ the Urban Hive 1931 H Street Sacramento, Ca

Hollow’s Eve Red Carpet Halloween Ball at the Shady Lady Saloon More information: www.metrospark.net

Halloween with Radio Static at Marilyn’s on K. details at http://www.marilynsonk.com/events.htm

Halloween Night - "Sunday Night"

Old Sacramento Halloween Block Crawl, Old Sacramento Halloween Block Crawl. Why party at only one place on Halloween night when you can party at six, all on one block. With no cover charge, drink specials, music, contests and more. Details at http://www.OldSacramentoBars.com

WARNER DRIVE AT SHAKERS PUB in Citrus Heights. Band plays original and covers and talk about cheap drinks at this neighborhood hangout.

Haunted Halloween Night Party at the 7440 Club in Citrus Heights with DJ, Costume contest at midnight!! $100 first place
$3 Cover after 9pm Details at http://www.rockys7440club.com

So there are a few alternatives to the high priced parties this weekend, feel free to comment other night time activities.

Disclosure: Sean Derfield is the owner of River City Saloon

The ghosts of Sacramento's past

2010-10-23T01:01:28Z

Do fiendish phantoms haunt the 1850s building at 114 J St. in Old Sacramento?

According to rumors and legend: Yes.

While none of the current tenants claim to have seen otherworldly beings, the stories persist.

“This used to be a restaurant and bar, and the guy who owned it would go out front and barbecue, and his kids would run up to him saying, ‘Daddy, daddy, you have a customer,’ but when he went inside, no one was there,” said JoAnne Peterson, co-owner of Sacramento City Dry Goods.

Another legend, according to Peterson, centers on the spirit of a girl who wanders one of the upper floors.

“She’s very particular about you keeping things neat,” said Peterson, who emphasized that she doesn’t put any credence in the tales. She added that the girl allegedly throws things about if they’re left out of order.

Second- and third-floor tenants didn’t report any sightings, and one claimed he didn’t want to talk to the press about the ghosts because he is currently on good terms with them and doesn’t want to upset them.

Tim Castleman, who owns the Practical Cycle bicycle shop on the ground floor of the building, said he had numerous problems with the alarm system when it was installed earlier this year.

“It was always zone six,” Castleman said. “It’s in the back of the building, on the interior doors.”

The alarm would frequently go off, and Castleman would hustle down to the shop to see if anything was amiss.

“It was nerve-wracking,” he said. “We never could figure it out.”

The false alarms sounded for a couple of months until the third alarm company he used eventually installed a new system and the problems ceased.

Were the false alarms caused by a ghost?

Castleman smiled and shrugged. He said he’s heard the stories of the girl on the upper floors, but he hasn’t seen her.

The building was one of the ones raised on screw jacks following the disastrous flood in 1862, and the job wasn’t done perfectly, as can be seen by looking at the crooked windows in the center of the building’s front.

Photo one is of Elizabeth Pedersen playing the part of the ghost in one of the city’s underground areas now used to store period clothing for a future museum project at Sacramento City Dry Goods.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Vampire Ball set to bring fangs and fun to Old Sacramento

2010-10-20T21:44:47Z

The Crescent Club Speakeasy will host the second annual Vampire Ball this Saturday, a party for vampire fanatics and Halloween revelers alike, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Romanian League in Defense of Animals (ROLDA).

This year’s event will be modeled after HBO’s “True Blood,” said Shannon McCabe, event organizer.

A staff of 25 helped her put together a party six months in the making, including professional set designers, vampire go-go dancers, two local DJs and actors who will be playing roles from the “True Blood” cast. Food will be served by Café Americain.

“I want to feel like I’m in the town of Bon Temps,” McCabe said, alluding to the fictional town where the HBO vampire series is set.

Fans of the show will recognize characters like Sookie Stackhouse and Eric Northman, among others, as costumed actors mingle with the crowd. The indoor café will be renamed “Merlotte’s Grill” after a restaurant from the series. The courtyard will be transformed into a blue bayou, McCabe said, to emulate the feel of the show’s small Louisiana town.

There will be a dance floor named “Fangtasia” with DJ David V and another called “Dracula’s Castle Dance Hall” with DJ Natalie Liquori, which will draw guests after they spend time at the “Hair of the Dog Bar.” Others can wander the three stories of the historic mansion or take a break in the rooms on the third floor that will be playing vampire films and “True Blood” episodes throughout the night.

McCabe said she created this event after becoming a fan of the “Twilight” saga. After 15 years of being a professional event planner, she thought, “How can I bring this to other fans so that they can experience it and not just watch it?”

She is also the founder of Haunted & Paranormal Investigations International (HPI), which hosts ghost-hunting classes and overnight stays at haunted locations, as well as investigates claims of paranormal activity.

“The owners of the Crescent Club Speakeasy have had paranormal ghost experiences,” McCabe said, adding that this was part of the reason she chose the location for the Vampire Ball, as well as the “crazy Victorian décor and chandeliers and vampiric atmosphere” of the historic Governor Newton Booth mansion.

“You aren’t required to dress up,” McCabe said, “but it will heighten the experience.”

During the night, a charity raffle will be held to raise money for ROLDA. McCabe, a member for almost two years, said the idea made sense because “Romania has animals in need and (was the home of) Dracula. I love animals and vampires, and so I have the Vampire Ball to help Romanian animals.”

Tickets are $12 online (available here) or $15 at the door.

Photos used with permission from Shannon McCabe's website.

Richard Simpson shares film of Sacramento's historic skid row

2010-10-19T04:33:44Z

Time Tested Books continued its Living Library series with a visit from filmmaker Richard Simpson, who shared his 1966 documentary “Marshes of Two Street” with a full house and answered questions from the audience about the experience of filming a historical moment of Sacramento’s skid row district.

The black and white film was played from an old-fashioned projector and showed the riverfront of Sacramento that was once considered the skid row district where the housing was cheap and the alcohol was affordable, so the poorest citizens sought refuge there. This was before the area was demolished for the construction of Interstate 5.

Simpson admitted that many of the people he interviewed for the film were inebriated, which contributed to the film’s theme of loneliness and aimless wandering.

Interviews with the community showed that despite a constant struggle to survive, they were still people with intelligence and good spirits. Losing their jobs and/or families left them with few options, and in facing the slow destruction of skid row, their options were dwindling even further.

“This was the second film I ever made,” Simpson said. It was originally aired on KVIE in 1966 and was broadcast across the nation, he said. He received a $3,000 grant from the Readers’ Digest to fund the project.

“I was really in love with skid row,” Simpson said.

His family would come to Front Street to sell wool, and while Simpson was a teenager he would meet the locals in skid row, whom his father insisted he never talk to.

“I didn’t find them scary,” Simpson said. “They were still living. They still had thoughts. They were thinking the same things that everyone else was thinking.”

Later in life when he began filming the documentary, Simpson said the locals wanted nothing to do with him. It wasn’t until he and his assistant were wrongfully accosted by the police in a case of mistaken identity that the locals paid any attention to Simpson and allowed interviews.

He spent three months filming the half-hour film and borrowed a Bolex video-camera from a friend to capture the footage. Simpson said the editing process was “primitive,” and he would do post-production work at night while working for KVIE during the day.

Simpson agreed with a guest’s opinion that the demolition of the skid row district did more harm than good. “I think we lost a great pioneer town,” he said. “What surprises me is the homeless are all over the place now and no one’s doing anything about it.”

The film itself did not show any of the demolition or destruction of the area, which happened afterward. Instead it preserved the opinions and stories of the real people who gave the area character before it was lost.

A major influence for Simpson came from the photography of Henri Cartier-Bresson. “He was known for capturing the decisive moment,” Simpson said, calling this “the peak of action.”

Evoking a melancholic and almost hopeless tone, the film had many long shots of people holding cigarettes or taking swigs of liquor from a bottle, and he tended to focus on lips or eyes of people while they spoke. The “peak of action” that Simpson captured was the raw vulnerability of characters that were out of luck and struggling, but were still very much human beings.

After the film, Simpson said, “I loved those people. I haven’t seen this film in a long time and I feel very emotional about it.”

The next Living Library event is Nov. 21. Capitol Public Radio’s Jeffrey Callison will be interviewed by Sacramento Press Editor in Chief David Watts Barton.

Glowing Pyramid

2010-10-16T03:54:08Z

The Ziggurat Building across the river from Old Sacramento seems to glow from within at sunset.

SacPress Photo | Kati Garner

Kings Players to “Paint the Town” by Greeting Fans Throughout Sacramento

2010-10-13T23:00:44Z

As part of the NBA Cares campaign, “Paint the Town,” the Sacramento Kings will be greeting fans throughout the Sacramento region Saturday, October 16 and Sunday, October 17 to thank them for their support in advance of the 2010-11 Kings season.

The entire Kings training camp roster, members of the Sacramento Kings Dance Team, Slamson and the Kings Breakers will interact with the Sacramento community at various locations. Fans are encouraged to attend and players will be available to greet and interact with fans.

Additionally, the Kings Karavan, a Kings-branded bus, will be on display at select locations and exciting Kings prizes will be awarded to Kings fans on-site.

Following is the full schedule of “Paint the Town” locations:

Saturday, October 16 (Four Locations):

2-3 p.m. - Carl's Jr., 2241 Del Paso Road, Sacramento (Players: Tyreke Evans, Marcus Landry)

3:30-4:30 p.m. - Elk Grove Library, 8900 Elk Grove Blvd., Elk Grove (Players: Carl Landry, Francisco Garcia)

3:30-4:30 p.m. - Old Sacramento (Players: Donte' Greene, Beno Udrih, Luther Head)

5-6 p.m. - Fountains at Roseville, 1162 Roseville Parkway, Roseville (Players: DeMarcus Cousins, Pooh Jeter, Connor Atchley) *Kings Karavan on-site

Sunday, October 17 (Three Locations):

10:30-11:30 a.m. - Folsom Lake Ford & Kia, 12755 Folsom Blvd., Folsom (Players: Samuel Dalembert, Antoine Wright) *Kings Karavan on-site

4:30-5:30 p.m. - Arden Fair Mall, 1689 Arden Way, Sacramento (Players: Jason Thompson, Darnell Jackson, Joe Crawford)

6-7 p.m. - Sacramento International Airport, Terminal A (Players: Omri Casspi, Hassan Whiteside)

Disclosure: Alex Sigua is the Public Relations Coordinator for Maloof Sports & Entertainment

Maile Sumandal, Old Sacramento Bartender/Paranormal Experiencer

2010-10-12T07:07:15Z

Interviewed by Paul Dale Roberts, HPI General Manager
www.hpiparanormal.net

To see pictures of Maile and see some of her cool tattoos, stop by here:
http://s970.photobucket.com/albums/ae185/PaulDaleRoberts55/Maile/

Question: Maile, please tell me something about yourself, where you were born and raised. Your family life, recreational activities and hobbies.

Answer: Well Paul, I was born in Richmond, California and stayed there for the first part of my school years, I would say until 5th grade. After 5TH grade I moved to Southern California and continued school there finishing and graduating there. My parents had gotten divorced at a young age so that is why I migrated from N. California to S. California. My father is a native from Hawaii. He was the last generation to be born in Hawaii. My mother is a native Californian. My recreational activities are enjoying the sunrise on a remote location, hiking and experiencing the paranormal. As for hobbies, well..let’s say when I am hiking I listen to Pink Floyd!

Question: Tell me about your UFO experience?

Answer: When I was living at a remote location in the high desert, I had numerous sightings of possible UFOs in the sky. The UFOs were hovering around the desert and at times I felt the UFOs were following me. The UFOs would move erratically in the skies and there was no way they could be conventional aircraft.

Question: You said you saw entities or spirits in Old Sacramento?

Answer: I have witnessed a tall man from the Colonial days wandering the town late at night in Old Sacramento. I would watch this tall man, which had a wool jacket that looked outdated and sporting mutton chops. I would watch him walking down the boardwalk and then fade into nothingness. One time I saw him, I said, “excuse me sir, can I get a jump?” and I turned around and he vanished. I was chilled to my bones!

Question: You had some paranormal experiences at a former home, can you explain.

Answer: I lived behind the bar called the Big Rock Inn, located on Highway 138 which is known to be one of the deadliest highways in the country. History of the bar is that the owner’s wife was shot in the bar during a robbery in the 50s. I lived in the house behind the bar. I would often see furniture and dishes being moved. Where my washer and dryer was, my washer would turn off on its own, for no apparent reason. My dogs were afraid of the area where there were once cock fighting pits. Once my friend and his son stayed with me and my friend’s son said in his sleep “No, don’t take me!”

Question: You work as a bartender at the Crescent Club in Old Sacramento. This place was formerly Governor Newton’s Mansion and has been around since the 1800s. According to many people there are all kinds of paranormal activity at this mansion. What have you witnessed?

Answer: My experience at the Crescent Club in the beginning was exciting, due to all of the history there and being so well preserved. We are on the original ground floor of the time before the floods in Old Sacramento. I close late being the bartender. At first, I was frightened being alone in this establishment, but now I have made amends with any spirits that possibly could be there. Now I am very comfortable in this place. All of the entities that could possibly be here seem to be benevolent. I feel tied to this place, I feel definitely connected in a positive way. I feel very welcomed.

Added Note from Paul Dale Roberts:
The Crescent Club is known to be haunted and my interviews with certain patrons, who make claim that they have seen objects move on their own accord. Bathroom door closing on its own and bangings on the walls have been heard.

Question: Tell me about the bar at the High Desert.

Answer: On one night, late at night I was closing. I was doing my normal routine of counting out the till. I had the jukebox turned up super loud, so random sounds of banging or movement noises would be drowned out. These sounds affected people that have frequented this bar. Then one night it happened. Everything went dark on me, the music shut off, the power breaker blew out. I immediately left the building, didn’t have time to think. While I was in the building I felt like I was suffocating and soon as I exited, it was a breath of fresh air, I felt so relieved. I would not enter that building again alone for the rest of the night.

Question: Wow! Great stories! Thank you Maile. Since you have lived in Sacramento, what are some of the places that you frequent?

Answer: All of Old Sacramento, because it has such a historical feeling. When I want to experience the paranormal, I go straight to Old Sacramento at night. I go to Ology, a store owned by my boyfriend and his family. Ology specializes in gems, crystals and Earth stones. Good energy comes from the store, because many of the treasures sold in the store have healing powers. Of course Crescent Club, I love the speakeasy atmosphere and prohibition drinks! They will soon be reviving Reggae in the Courtyard on Thursday nights. Patrons will be able to express their lives artistically with acoustic drum circles and paintings and of course the 2010 Vampire Ball will be held there on October 23, 2010! You can learn about our Vampire Ball at www.shannonmccabe.com

Thank you Paul for the interview!

Paul Dale Roberts, HPI General Manager
aka The Demon Warrior
Shannon McCabe's HPI (Haunted and Paranormal Investigations International)
www.hpiparanormal.net
Managed by Staci Butler, HPI Twitter Account Manager/HPI Senior Lead Investigator
Dark View HPI Videos
http://darkviewparanormal.phanfare.com/2010/
Chatterbrew!
http://www.chatterbrew.com/
Email: pauld5606@comcast.net
Cellular Paranormal Hotline: 916 203 7503
If you have a possible investigation call: 1-888-709-4HPI

Music & Dance Festival Vibrant, Energizing

2010-10-05T18:54:17Z

Sacramento's third annual Music and Dance Festival in Old Sac was like a mini-trip 'round the world in one day. It can be described as a "global village of dance, music, artistry and children's theatre performances."

The streets of Old Sacramento were filled with sounds of drums, reggae, Hip Hop, Japanese, middle eastern music, country music, and the sounds of clogging and a live DJ competition.

"The Sacramento World Music & Dance Festival celebrates the rich diversity woven throughout our community," said Lina Fat, past board chair of the festival and executive chef of Fat's Restaurants. "It's extraordinary that dancers and musicians with ties from all over the globe will be performing right here in Sacramento."

Here are snapshots from this past Sunday festivities:

TranceFusion Dance Company / Indian(above & below)

Sakura Minyo Doo Koo Kai / Japan / Dance & Live Music

Hip-Hop Dance-Off

8 year old Lil Kida was hands-down winner of Best Individual Dancer award (above,below).

Sacramento Country Dance Society (above, below)

Kalyna / Ukrainian / Dance(above, two below)

Sacramento Taiko Dan/Japan/Live Drums

Yaling Dance Group / China / Dance (above,below)

Samba Da Terra / Brazilian / Dance & Music(above, below)

Live DJ Competition between DJ Revolver (left, large) DJ Circuit (upper small, right) and DJ Rigatony (lower right, small)

Hip-Hop Dance-Off - ICE Dance Co., the group winner.

SacPress Photos | Kati Garner

http://www.sacramentoworldfestival.org/

New skyline

2010-10-04T23:03:04Z

The refurbished historic Ebner Hotel in Old Sacramento adds its new spire to the Sacramento skyline. Two new stores, Chef’s Mercantile and Christmas & Co., will split the 5,200-square-foot ground floor of the Ebner. For complete information, please see http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/36408/William_Glen_kids_to_open_stores.

SacPress Photo | Kati Garner

Managing 'hospitality zones'

2010-10-02T05:08:42Z

Sacramento’s “hospitality zones” became classrooms Thursday night.

Nearly two dozen people visiting Sacramento for the California Downtown Association’s 2010 annual conference took a walking “Nighttime Economy Tour” through parts of Old Sacramento, downtown and Midtown. Most in the group help manage downtown business districts.

Stopping in bars from Vega’s at Old Sacramento’s historic waterfront to de Vere’s Irish Pub near 15th and L streets, people learned best practices, as well as what to avoid, to successfully set up and manage hospitality districts – concentrations of bars, restaurants, café-lounges and other entertainment businesses.

Officials with cities and business improvement districts have many more tools at their disposal than they realize, said Allison Harnden, vice president of Santa Cruz-based Responsible Hospitality Institute. She led discussions on the tour.

One is to make sure visitors have plenty of convenient transportation options, such as “safe ride” programs, taxi stands, pedicabs, late-night public transportation and safe neighborhoods to walk in, so they can leave bars safely and quickly.

“This is your biggest bang for the buck,” said Harnden, whose group was established to help communities plan and manage entertainment zones. “If you can clear the hospitality district at closing time, you won’t have noise, you won’t have fights, you won’t have bottle throwing.”

Melissa Martinez, executive director of the Old Sacramento Business Association, and Aja Uranga-Foster, programs manager with the Midtown Business Association, led a four-hour tour to 11 establishments. Several were located at 20th and K streets.

Public urination after closing is a common problem because many cities don’t have enough public restrooms near these areas.

The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control doesn’t like to give out liquor licenses for businesses close together. But concentrations of bars are easier for police to manage, she said.

The institute encourages cities to establish staggered closing times so police aren’t overwhelmed trying to manage crowds at closing, she said outside de Vere’s, where a crowd of patrons waited to enter at 11 p.m.

Another way to prevent many problems in such districts and to create more financially successful zones is to recruit a mix of businesses meeting needs and schedules of all four adult demographic groups, rather than just single 20-somethings, she said.

That group tends to drink too much because they’re insecure about socializing. Guys that age are most likely to fight. They may not spend much money at businesses, preferring to spend time “displaying and promenading” in groups, she said.

“You really want to start filling in some of these things to attract other people,” Harnden said.

Second Saturday: A Tragedy Waiting to Happen Can Anything Be Done To Save It?

2010-09-17T21:37:11Z

A rock band steps onto a portable stage set up in the old Sacramento News and Review parking lot at 20th and J streets. They tune up and begin to play. This promotion marked beginning of the end of the traditional Second Saturday.

Second Saturday was no longer going to be an art walk and about visiting art galleries. Second Saturday was going to be about bringing large numbers of young people to Midtown to stay after the event and continue partying and drinking in the Midtown bars and nightclubs.

City officials and the Midtown Business Association (MBA) immediately tried to distance the Midtown Second Saturday Art Walk event and themselves from the unfortunate and preventable death of Victor Hugo Perez Zavala and shooting of three others.

Why unfortunate and preventable? There had been plenty of warnings from Midtown residents and others that the art walk (Second Saturday A) and, more to the point, the after-event – the unofficial party in the streets of Midtown (Second Saturday B) – was rapidly reaching the point that a major incident was becoming a foregone conclusion.

This peaked after August’s Second Saturday (both A and B). The outcry become so loud that it was finally reported by The Sacramento Bee and The Sacramento News and Review. Both promptly poo-poo’d it along with city officials and the MBA.

So why were things allowed to spiral so out of control that Sacramento Police officers at the scene of the shooting last weekend could not prevent it or even identify a suspect? It can be traced back directly to the relationship between city officials and the MBA with the purveyors of highly profitable liquor in Midtown.

A little history: A few decades ago there was no way there would be a clubbing scene in what wasn’t even known as Midtown. White flight to the suburbs had left the area to drug dealers, prostitution, social services and Section 8 subsidized housing.

Slowly, a small group of determined individuals and families recognized the potential of the neighborhood and started demanding that the city help clean up the area and contribute to its livability.

About the same time, some art galleries began opening, along with a few nice restaurants. As Marion Millen described in an earlier SacramentoPress.com article,

“Gallery owner Michael Himovitz brought Second Saturday to Sacramento two decades ago, to ‘educate and connect people through discussing art.’ He advocated coordinating individual efforts into an event that benefited all the galleries, their customers, local culture and the community. It worked.”

It worked very well for a long time. Midtown grew to have a good quality of life (livability). It had a variety of businesses within walking distance serving the neighborhood. This included restaurants focused on food and a vibrant art scene.

It needs to be emphasized that what is called Midtown is overwhelmingly residential. It is an area made up of several-century-plus-old historic residential neighborhoods. Midtown is crisscrossed by two two-block-wide commercial strips: J and K streets and 19th and 21st streets.

The other small commercial areas are 28th Street south of J Street and a small area on Capitol Avenue. All the rest is residential. A significant amount is single-family homes. A lot of these residents are still occupied by those who fought for a good quality of life or those attracted to the neighborhoods because of the quality of life and the philosophy of new urbanism (Live where you are not dependent on a car, goods and services are within walking distance or public transportation and your living situation takes up much less space).

The latest changes to Midtown started a little over a decade ago. Midtown went from livable to being marketed as “THE HOT” location in Sacramento. High-end restaurants that morph after 9 or 10 p.m. into bars and nightclubs designed to attract 20-somethings from the whole region and beyond displaced the businesses serving the neighborhood.

Except for negative impacts on nearby residents, it worked for a while. But then came the recession coupled with overconcentration. And along with that came desperation. The bars and nightclubs became desperate to find any way to attract patrons to their near-empty businesses. No one was in a better position to witnesses this than the residents of Midtown.

It didn’t take the alcohol purveyors long to realize that they could have an OK to even good night once a month on the night of the Second Saturday Art Walk. Soon there was promotion of the Second Saturday “After Party.” The one city block of eight bars and nightclubs between 27th and 28th on J Street, the self-named “Bloc,” is a good example. With nary an art gallery in sight they started proclaiming, “Come to the Second Saturday After Party at the Bloc!”

Now here comes what really led to last Sunday morning’s shooting. Not content with the amount of business they were getting from Second Saturday A (the wine-sipping and cheese-nibbling art crowd was not contributing to their business), through the MBA and with the assistance of the city, they hijacked Second Saturday A.

There is a thing with late-night talk shows sometimes called the “warm-up.” This consists of someone, sometimes the star, appearing before the show starts telling jokes and getting the audience going. So when the show starts, the audience members are all excited, and the home audience sees them on their feet cheering.

Second Saturday A has now become the “warmup” for Second Saturday B. This is well-documented. No one denies that Second Saturday A has become more of a Mardi Gras event.

Loud bands are located throughout the area with large numbers of street vendors. Many galleries have dropped out, complaining of vandalism, thefts and crowds only interested in drinking their wine with no interest in purchasing art. Few feel it is safe to bring their children. In fact, few genuinely interested in art attend. Many are afraid of the crowd that has gotten more and more out of control.

Second Saturday A getting everyone in a major party mood for Second Saturday B has been a massive success. Well, at least in terms of attendance and rowdiness.

Now add to this ready-to-continue-to-party crowd an unwillingness to disperse them.

The whole mood is conducive to partying and, more importantly, drinking. With word of the Second Saturday B spreading, and with a lot of promotion, the event has continued to grow.

Along with the frat boy types and others with a propensity to drink spending money in the bars and nightclubs, Second Saturday B has attracted the underage with not much else to do, and, sadly, those prone to anger and violence.

With no mechanism to sort out and remove the latter, it became inevitable that there would be a major incident, and sadly that incident took a bystander’s life and injured three others.

So what is the City of Sacramento’s role in all this? What were they thinking in allowing these crowds to grow so large in the first place? Did they not listen to their officers telling them this was getting beyond what they could control? Do they truly think that this is what makes Sacramento a world-class city – ignoring the loss of quality of life for the residents of these neighborhoods? Are they so beholden to the political power of the bar and nightclub owners that they are so willing to put people’s lives at risk?

The city had almost exactly the same situation in Old Sacramento. When this started to threaten the business interests, the crowds were forcibly driven out of Old Sac. Police officers told residents of Midtown neighborhoods that that is where these individuals ended up, making it more difficult for the police to deal with them.

When the the Thursday Night Market got so out of control that the police realized they no longer had the resources to deal with it, city officials at the time wisely shut it down before someone was killed.

In regards to the Midtown Business Association: the MBA started out many years ago, founded by owners of many of the small individually owned businesses that served a number of the needs of the neighborhoods.

It has changed into a business association that primarily represents the interests of the high-end restaurants, bars, nightclubs and associated businesses. As I have already stated, many of the original businesses have been displaced, and those that are left are mostly ignored. If you don’t believe, me just attend their monthly meetings.

After a shooting on the patio of Harlow’s Nightclub, there was a lot of media coverage. During the same period, female patrons were robbed at gunpoint crossing 27th Street at J Street. The bar and nightclub industry feared a loss of patrons afraid to come into Midtown.

A security company was hired and instituted things like security patrols and other systems that improved the situation for residents while making it safer for patrons. When the memory of the shooting faded, the security was discontinued. The problems for the neighborhood returned.

It is not surprising that the public has not heard anything from any of the bar or nightclub owners that have benefited so much from Second Saturday. That is what they have the MBA for.

Some immediate solutions: If the City, they MBA and everyone else involved truly wants to save the 6 to 10 pm Second Saturday A they need to shut down the after party crowds of Second Saturday B. It has been made crystal clear that even with added resources the Sacramento Police Department can not control what happens in these crowds. After 10:00 pm anyone who is not in a restaurant/bar/nightclub, coffee house or other legitimate business or on their patio needs to move on. There are plenty of locations east and west of Midtown to legally drink and enjoy them selves.

The crowds need to be controlled so they do not move out into the residential area. To help prevent this a two hour or less no parking without a residential permit zone needs to be instituted throughout the Midtown residential areas and ENFORCED. 311 needs to be staffed adequately on the second Saturday/Sunday morning so that residents can call and report drinking and other illegal activities. Police need to be dispatched to deal with this. Some residents are going to whine about the parking but it is a small price to pay to have peace in the residential areas. Guests at legitimate gatherings can move their car every two hours or hosts can easily obtain one day visitor permits.

These two things would go a long way in having a post Second Saturday that would much safer and sane.

About those of not of drinking age and the problem of gangs: Youth are attracted to the Second Saturday events to see and be seen. An area in the central business district needs to be set aside for them that access can be controlled. Possibly a section of the convention center. It needs to have food and soft drinks available at a reasonable cost and feature music. Could one or more of the bands at Second Saturday A be brought in?

As for gangs, having a controlled access area would make it much easier to exclude them and weapons.

But sadly gangs are a long term problem with no quick solutions. While a lot of resources have been put into Second Saturday the city has cut youth programs and gang prevention nearly to the point of non existence. Mayor Johnson talks of working for youth but with out the support of the whole council to find money and other resources how is this city going to have a better future for its’ young people?

North Sacramento Land Company celebrates 100 years

2010-09-17T07:14:59Z

The North Sacramento Land Company celebrated 100 years in business Thursday, reflecting on its humble roots in 1910 before North Sacramento was even incorporated.

“We’ve survived the Wall Street crash and a few other recessions and a couple of wars, so that’s a feat in itself,” said Bob Slobe, the company’s president. “We’ve always been a reasonably small company, and some of that has to do with our involvement and giving back to the community.”

That involvement was celebrated Thursday at the California State Railroad Museum when artifacts were presented to museum officials dating back to the very inception of the museum.

Bob’s mother and then-president of the company, Carolyn Slobe, was a member of the Sacramento Trust for Historic Preservation. In 1970, the trust was able to get then-Gov. Ronald Reagan to attend a dinner on a historic rail car called the Gold Coast.

The night’s objective: get a commitment from Reagan to fund a state railroad museum.

“That night, Reagan said yes, and that began the process of funding it and supporting it,” said Bob Slobe, who was there as a waiter.

Thursday, 40 years later, the Slobe family and the company donated numerous artifacts from that dinner to the museum.

“That is part of our 100th anniversary,” Slobe said before the event. “We have all of the original ephemera from that effort – all the original seating charts and all that stuff, so we are giving it to the museum for display.”

Slobe said the company has always been deeply rooted in the community, and some of the things in its history he is most proud of relate to that involvement.

“For myself, it was being a founding member of the Sacramento Valley Conservancy Land Trust, which has been protecting land – 20,000 acres of land – here since 1992,” Slobe said.

He added that the company has also donated to organizations such as Women Escaping a Violent Environment, the Boy Scouts of America and other local projects, including the Sacramento History Museum and what would become the Discovery Museum.

“You really can’t find a good thing going on in North Sacramento that the land company wasn’t a part of,” said Rob Kerth, who grew up with Bob Slobe. “The company is its people, and those people are a treasure.”

Kerth added that in a time when people are frequently moving around, the fact that one family-run company has been in the area for so long is “amazing.”

Slobe said that for more than half the company’s time, it has had women at the helm.

“Real estate hasn’t traditionally been a women’s business, so that’s a feat,” said Slobe, who took leadership of the company from his mother in 2009. “We’re very proud of that history.”

Becoming president in 2009, Slobe said his focus has so far been – and will continue to be – survival.

“It’s a very difficult economy,” Slobe said. “It’s been a tough time, so it’s good to look back and reflect. Certainly the company has been through tough times before. We’re excited about the next 100 years.”

For a complete history of the company provided by Bob Slobe, click here.

Photo courtesy Bob Slobe.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento press.

William Glen 'kids' to open stores

2010-09-10T02:53:43Z

The children of one of William Glen's founders will soon open housewares and holiday stores in Old Sacramento.

Less than a year after William "Bill" Snyder died, Mark Snyder and Amy Guthrie are putting everything he taught them into their newest ventures: Chef’s Mercantile and Christmas & Co.

The stores will split the 5,200-square-foot ground floor of the newly reconstructed Ebner Hotel/Empire House on K Street. The city's final inspection of the exterior was Thursday.

The stores are expected to open by early October or sooner. Late Thursday afternoon, Snyder and Guthrie were caught off guard by the news that the William Glen store will close after Christmas.

"The kids," as they've come to be known, will operate their boutiques under the corporation name of C and C Merchants.

"That stands for Christmas and cooking," said Mark Snyder, 38. "We came up with that name because it was our dad’s two big loves – aside from his kids and his granddaughter."

The siblings left William Glen in May. The store is now owned by their stepmother, Terry Snyder. The William Glen store is expected to close by year’s end, its owners announced Thursday afternoon before closing the store earlier than usual.

Snyder confirmed that, saying they were “surprised and saddened” to hear about the closure from store employees after the announcement.

“There's really no reason for it to close,” he said. “It's so sad.”

Bill Snyder and his college friend, Glen Forbes, opened William Glen as a decorating studio just off Edison Avenue behind Town and Country Village in 1963 with $500 and two Chevys for collateral. The Snyder kids grew up working at the store. They polished crystal, put price tags on Christmas ornaments and worked in the coffee department.

Mark Snyder returned to work at the store in 1997, a year before Forbes retired. Guthrie worked at the store for eight years. They created the store's website and online business. Guthrie left for a few years to operate a clothing store and have her first child, Gianna Rose, who turns one next week. Guthrie, 36, returned last fall after their dad got sick.

The siblings were William Glen employees, but not store owners. Most people would only know their connection to the store through word of mouth.

But retail is in their blood. Their father taught them his business knowledge and philosophy and much more, Guthrie said.

"We couldn't have done any of this without having grown up being his children," said Guthrie, taking a break from checking in shipments.

Signmaker Jim Ingram installed the stores’ bright red signs Thursday.

Brother and sister hope to fill their stores with a little of the fantasy and magic they've found on trips taken to Disneyland every year since they were 15 and 17.

"We want people to come in and have an experience," Guthrie said. "Whether they buy something or not, we want them to walk away feeling it was worth their time."

Christmas & Co. will be a year-round, story-like holiday and Christmas store with a grand fireplace and 7-foot Christmas clock tower display on the Ebner Hotel side of the building, 116 K St. The interior will attempt to recapture historic hotel ambiance by dividing the room into themed parlors or galleries each holding a Christmas tree. The store will sell home decor for all major holidays, starting with Halloween.

Chef's Mercantile, a home chef boutique at 118 K St., will sport an industrial look with exposed ceilings, industrial walls and crystal chandeliers. A full-service coffee bar will be installed in front about a month after opening. A demo area in back will be used for cooking classes starting next year.

The two spaces will open into each other. The stores will operate daily from 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.

The upper two floors will be leased as office space. The people behind the reconstruction — Steve Ayers, chief executive officer of Armour Steel Co., Dave Scurfield of Scurfield Co., Ray Enos of Downtown Ford, Ben Mortel and Johan Otto of Otto Construction -- put $2.8 million into the project. The city kicked in $3.3 million in local funds.

The siblings had originally planned to operate a temporary Christmas store that would move around Old Sacramento and downtown as spaces became empty or got leased. But the deal at the Ebner/Empire was too good to pass up, Snyder said.

They've already been getting calls from customers wondering what they'll be doing next, he said.

"What we see before us is a bright, simple future where we can enjoy the business and enjoy our customers and bring something to Old Sacramento and the downtown area," he said.

Gold Rush Days

2010-09-09T19:47:44Z

Several Labor Day events took place around Sacramento. The annual Gold Rush Days was one of these events that went on for three days in Old Sacramento to the delight of children and adults.The streets were made to look like an old western town during the California Gold Rush. Many other activities (besides those pictured) took place and many were tailored for children.

Gold Rush Days returns to Old Sacramento

2010-09-04T00:12:30Z

Old Sacramento’s streets are once again dirt, and about 150 volunteers are dressed in their best 1850s fashion as the area reverts back to its rich history for Labor Day weekend.

Visitors can rumble down the streets in a horse-drawn carriage, refresh themselves at the Stinking Tent Saloon, pan for gold and then gamble away their findings at one of the more lecherous tents in the frontier tent city that sprung up overnight in front of the Sacramento History Museum on First and I streets.

“I think it’s really important for people now to know about the history that was happening right here in that time period,” said Janessa West, public programs coordinator for the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation.

Gold Rush Days in Old Sacramento has been held for the past 11 years, and West said she expects even higher traffic this year than in years past, since the fair is not open like it has been, having had its dates moved up a month.

Volunteer Jan Bullard, who for the weekend is Addie Carter – gambler and hostess of the Stinking Tent Saloon – said visitors to her tent can partake in “games for all ages, music, prestidigitation (that’s sleight of hand to modern folks) and the best sarsaparilla this side of Donner Pass.”

At noon and 3 p.m. Friday, the Sierra Nevada Mormon pioneers fired off a replica of one of the cannons Sutter’s Fort would have mounted.

“We enjoy discussing early California history with the public, from pre-Gold Rush to the discovery of gold,” said Peter Guilbert, commandant of the pioneers.

On Friday, hundreds of schoolchildren attended the event, including 9-year-old Anna Kirchgater Elementary School student Connor Jacobs, who got a crash course in doing laundry pioneer-style.

“I’m learning a lot about history,” Connor said. “My favorite was the train museum.”

Eddie Douglas, father of one of Connor’s classmates, said he thought the school’s field trip to the event was a great way for the students to learn history firsthand.

Volunteer J.D. Borthwick agreed.

“Bringing the 1850s to the 21st century is a wonderful thing,” he said. “This venue has been going for a decade. It’s a fixture of Labor Day in Sacramento.”

The event is free and open from 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday.

Prepaid parking is available for $8 at Tower Garage (near Tower Bridge) and nearby Old Sacramento Garage (entrance on I Street).

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

SCHS Presents: Rick Spencer at Gold Rush Days

2010-09-03T05:59:10Z

Rick Spencer Concert at Gold Rush Days, Sunday Sept 5, 4 P.M., Old Sacramento “Tent City” Stage

SCHS is proud to sponsor a public historic music program by historical troubadour Rick Spencer, followed by a 5 PM performer reception/discussion (for SCHS members only) in the Eagle Theater. Rick is known internationally for his work as a historian, researcher, singer, songwriter and performer of music in the American folk tradition. Some of his musical selections for this event will include campaign songs written for the 1856 Presidential campaign of John C. Fremont, early California explorer, one of the first two Senators from California, and the first Presidential candidate fielded by the fledgling Republican Party. The concert is free and open to the public on the "Tent City" stage, and starts at 4:00 PM.

In addition to his work as a musician Rick Spencer is the executive director of the Dr. Ashbel Woodward Museum in Franklin, CT. For more information you can visit Rick Spencer's website at www.catfeather.com. The concert, and the SCHS member reception, are both near Front & I Street in Old Sacramento, on the "Tent City" stage. Gold Rush Days are quite the party (see sacramentogoldrushdays.com ), so come out early for the best parking opportunities. The event runs Friday through Monday, with Sunday’s hours from 11- 7.

For more information about the Sacramento County Historical Society, visit our website at www.sachistoricalsociety.org

Disclosure: William Burg is Vice-President of the Sacramento County Historical Society.

Country in the Park full of great music, low on beer

2010-09-02T01:28:17Z

It was a sea of cut-off shorts, cowboy hats, and overalls at Capitol Mall on Sunday afternoon for Country in the Park 2010.

KNCI 105.1 managed to turn the intersection on Capitol Mall and Fifth Streets into a country music venue for the day. The gated-off intersection was filled with an estimated 11,000-12,000 country music fans, making this year one of the biggest in it’s 11-year existence, according to Mark Evans, program director at KHTK and KNCI Sacramento.

Due to budget cuts Gibson Ranch, where the concert is normally held, was unable to rent out the park to KNCI this year.

The singing of the national anthem and “God Bless America” with help from the crowd kicked off the day on a high and patriotic note.

Whiskey Dawn took the stage first, setting the bar high for an impressive lineup of talented country stars. Others included Sunny Sweeney, Eli Young Band, Jack Ingram and Dierks Bentley.

The day was close to perfect except for a minor upset when the beer taps ran dry about an hour before Bentley took the stage.

As part of the deal to hold the event downtown this year, the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau ran and kept all proceeds from alcohol sales.

“I know they had planned on a bigger supply than had been gone through in previous years, but (for whatever reason), it was an enormous beer-drinking crowd that showed up,” Evans said.

Alcohol tickets were sold in advance at different booths than where the alcohol was actually served, and many people purchased multiple tickets to avoid waiting in lengthy lines.

“How is it possible to run out of beer at a country concert, of all places?” asked one concert attendee, Karley Spaulding, referring to country songs’ constant references to drinking.

While refunds were offered to those who still had tickets in hand, many decided the lines were too long, and some even left before Bentley took the stage. As some vocalized their frustration, security guards braced themselves in front of each booth that served alcohol in case anyone became unruly.

Despite the upset, the show continued, and the true country fans stayed for the reason they came: the music.

Fans went wild when Ingram joined Bentley onstage for an impromptu duet, and their love for Bentley was obvious as the cheers grew louder with every song.

Bentley belted out his catchy hits like “All my exes live in Texas,” “Lot of Leavin’ Left to Do” and “Every Mile a Memory.”

He won over the crowd’s hearts, saying, “The prettiest girls are in California! Put that in my Wikepedia!”

Bentley drove the crowd even more crazy when he proclaimed, “I love me some Old Sac!”

The love was mutual.

Photos taken by Kati Garner

Author and Expert Outdoorsman Teaches Responsible Recreation

2010-08-24T06:50:21Z

A group of six gathered at Old Sacramento’s Trail Mix store Sunday morning to hear author and avid outdoorsman Jordan Summers teach the workshop, “Leave no trace.”

“Leave no trace” consists of seven principles to promote responsible outdoor recreation.

“It allows you to preserve the resources of which no more is being made,” Summers said.

The back country was the focus of the workshop. Summers said the first six-mile stretch of a wilderness area is considered front country. Past that is considered back country. He said five times more people visit front country than the back country.

Summers has been a hiker and active in the outdoors since his childhood in Virginia. He has lived in California since 1968.

He first learned about “Leave no trace” while attending National Outdoor Leadership School in the 1990s. He has led mountain expeditions with lamas, full moon hikes, overnight hikes, taught backpacking courses and led workshops at REI stores. He is the author of “60 hikes within 60 miles: Sacramento.”

Summers is currently retired and leads hikes for the Tahoe Rim Trail Association.

“My husband and I have been interested in getting back out in the wilderness,” said Deborah Finn of Sacramento. “I thought this would be a great way to get back into it and get more knowledge.”

The seven back country principles of “Leave no trace” are: plan ahead and prepare, travel and camp on durable surfaces, dispose of waste properly, respect wildlife, minimize campfire impacts, be considerate of other visitors and leave what you find.

Summers led the informal workshop with interactive demonstrations and asking audience members for their opinions on principles.

To plan ahead and prepare, Summers said adventurers need to know about the location and conditions before visiting. He asked those in the group what they had to plan for, and answers varied from whether dogs were allowed to what the weather would be like for their children.

The audience was given cards representing different objects for the principle, “Travel and camp on durable surfaces.” The audience then arranged themselves to guess the order of decomposition. Most were shocked to learn it would take 450 years for a plastic bottle to decompose and a million years for a glass bottle.

Summers pointed out the fragility of wilderness vegetation. He asked what those in the audience would do if they were part of a group that wanted to cross a meadow lacking a path.

“I thought the answer was cross in single file,” said Paul Finn of Sacramento. “It’s not true – you want to spread out. You might think you’re doing the right thing, and it may not be.”

To dispose of waste properly, Summers said hikers should carry out everything they took in with them to the wilderness area as well as garbage left by others.

Wildlife can be endangered both actively and passively, so people need to be careful. He said people actively feed squirrels and rats that can carry the bubonic plague. Humans endanger bears through passive actions like not placing food in food lockers.

Bears are relocated the first time they’re found near campsites, Summers said, and they are killed if they return.

Campfire dangers and tips for creating them safely were discussed during, as well. Summers said most people don’t bring enough water to douse a fire completely. He encouraged the use of fire pans, mound fires and building campfires in river tidal zones.

An interactive demonstration taught the audience to be considerate of other visitors and leave what they find.

Summers said to step off a trail 15 feet when taking a break and leave natural objects where they are.

“The value of ‘Leave no trace’ is it’s not a list of rules,” he said. “If you only know one or two things about it, you’ve got a good understanding and you can answer other questions.”

Photos:

1) Summers leading the workshop.

2) The Trail Mix store exterior.

Streetcar plan explained

2010-07-30T21:32:24Z

A study to map out a streetcar route linking Sacramento to West Sacramento is expected to start this fall, according to city Transportation Department spokeswoman Linda Tucker.

More than $400,000 in funding has been set aside for the study -- $310,000 from federal grant funds obtained earlier this year and $90,000 from local transportation funds, said Azadeh Doherty, a principal planner in the department.

The current plan for the streetcar includes a path in West Sacramento, but does not lay out a route in Sacramento. Under the most recent plan, the streetcar would run from West Sacramento City Hall, across Tower Bridge and stop in Old Sacramento at the foot of the bridge.

The city will consider ideas for a route in Sacramento in the upcoming study.

Tucker provided more detail about the study Wednesday in an e-mail to The Sacramento Press.

The Sacramento Press: Who will conduct this study?

Tucker: The City will conduct the study to explore the best route to serve the most riders on the Sacramento side of the river.

City staff from (the) Department of Transportation and the Economic Development department will co-manage the project with the help of a consultant team. We will post a Request for Qualifications for a consultant sometime in August/September. The study should get going this fall.

SP: Will the public and stakeholders be able to influence this study?

Tucker: Absolutely, there will be opportunities for public input through public meetings and a stakeholder advisory group of Sacramento stakeholders and residents. Key stakeholders are Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG), developers, business owners and advocacy groups such as the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, Chambers of Commerce on both sides of the river, Regional Transit (which will operate the streetcar), public transit riders, bicycle and walking advocates and Old Sacramento, to name a few.

We’re looking forward to getting started to have the public and experts weigh in. The study will be a companion to our previous studies: the Bikeway Master Plan, Parking Master Plan, Pedestrian Master Plan, General Plan, Regional Transit Master Plan, Township 9 and Railyards.

Once the streetcar study is completed, we will be able to do a comprehensive downtown circulation study next summer that will integrate all that was documented during these other studies completed in recent years.

SP: How will Caltrans be involved in the study?

Tucker: They are a stakeholder as they own the Tower Bridge, which will be the streetcar crossing. However, we do not expect they would have an inordinate amount of involvement merely because the funds passed through them from SACOG to us.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Sac to plan streetcar's route

2010-07-29T03:29:16Z

The city of Sacramento is back at the drawing board — literally — on its efforts to set up a streetcar connecting to West Sacramento.

A new study to plan the streetcar route in Sacramento has received $310,000 in federal grant funds.

An additional $90,000 from a local source will help pay for the study, according to a July 27 report from the city’s Transportation Department. The City Council signed off on the new funding Tuesday night.

“What we’ll be doing now is looking now more broadly at the best routes for that system on the Sacramento side,” Councilman Steve Cohn said Wednesday.

In the most recent plan, the streetcar would run from West Sacramento City Hall, across Tower Bridge and stop in Old Sacramento at the foot of the bridge.

City leaders learned earlier this month that the Sacramento/West Sacramento project would not receive the millions of federal dollars for which it had applied.

Cohn said one of the weaknesses of the streetcar plan was that it didn’t outline a route in Sacramento beyond Tower Bridge.

In the new study, the city will examine ideas for a route.

“The project focuses on connecting some of the most active destinations in the City of Sacramento including: the dense urban central business district, the vacant 240 acre Railyards redevelopment area, the emerging commercial, arts, and entertainment neighborhood in Midtown, the R Street corridor, the Sacramento State University campus and the Arden Fair Mall,” according to the Transportation Department’s report.

Cohn said he does not expect the city will have a decision on the final route after this study is conducted. But he said he wants to make headway on extending the route past Tower Bridge and connecting it with other forms of transportation, such as light rail.

The city’s report did not specify when work on the study will start. Read the report on the new funding for a streetcar plan here.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Children's Citizenship Oath Ceremony

2010-07-02T01:02:30Z

We seem to take our citizenship for granted and we expect all the liberties and rights of our constitution. Today a group of 10 children were presented with certificates of U.S. citizenship. The event took place at the Old Sacramento Schoolhouse Museum. The Children’s Oath Ceremony included one child each from the countries of China, Vietnam, Singapore and Poland. Pakistan, Mexico and the Philippines each had two new citizens.

The small Schoolhouse Museum was packed with the new young citizens as well as family members and friends. The ceremony began at 10 a.m. and various members of the media were in attendance. The site of the event was chosen by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). It was chosen for its fun and historic setting and also in observance of the upcoming 4th of July holiday. I think this will be an especially more significant holiday for our new citizens and their families.

The ceremony started off with our national anthem sung by Jeremy. Kathryn Radtkey-Gaither, California’s Undersecretary of Education, started off the ceremony by welcoming the children and their families. Sharon Rummery, Regional Media Manager with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (U.S. Department of Homeland Security) indicated that they try to hold this type of special events two times a year for children younger than 14.

USCIS Sacramento Field Office Director Michael Biggs gave a brief speech about what it took for the children to receive citizenship. Mr. Biggs then led the children in an oath and called each by name to receive their certificates of citizenship. As each child went up to receive their certificate you could see how proud the parents and family friends were. Genuine happiness glowed from the children and everyone else in the room. In the back, Lydia Hastings, a volunteered organist for the event played in the background.

After the event I went outside with a cameraman/interviewer from Channel 19 (Univision) to interview 13 year old Bryant Guillermo Martinez Castañeda and 10 year old Christian Martinez Castañeda. Both brothers were born in Tijuana, Mexico. The family currently lives in Tracy, Christian is in the 5th grade while his older brother will be starting High School. Their mom, Maria Socorro Martinez is originally from Jalisco, Mexico and the dad Guillermo Martinez is from Mexicali, Mexico. In order for family members to become citizens at least one parent has to already be a citizen. In this case Mr. Martinez was a citizen first and now his children followed. Maria will become a citizen after her 3rd year of being a resident. Like many immigrant families that have followed a similar path one of the parents lived in the U.S. while the other remained in their native country.

The whole event was very educational. I’m glad Sharon Rummery was there to answer all questions. She seemed to thoroughly enjoy her job and was very willing to provide information about the citizenship process. Sacramento has an office located at 650 Capitol Mall where any questions about how to get the citizenship process started can be answered. They can provide interested parties with the proper documents and are available to help fill these out. Appointments can be set up, help is available with the background check process and are more than willing to guide anyone interested in becoming a citizen through the paperwork and other requirements.

One of the most fascinating facts that Sharon Rummery shared was that approximately 800 new citizens are sworn in on a monthly basis in Sacramento. San Francisco can swear in around 1,300 new citizens a month.

Photos:

1 - Schoolhouse, 2 - Jeremy, 3 - Michael Biggs, 4 - Kathryn Radtkey-Gaither

4 thru 8 - Young Citizens

9 - Lydia Hastings

10 - Christian, 11 - Bryant, 13 - Maria Socorro, Christian, Bryant, Guillermo Martinez

Jamie Kennedy looking to get 'Laughs Unlimited'

2010-07-01T06:00:45Z

Comedian Bob Saget told The Sacramento Press he has a reputation for visiting the California State Railroad Museum while inebriated. Pablo Francisco joked that he would impersonate a Sacramentan by using a heavy Latino accent and calling the Hells Angels to kick someone's ass.

Jamie Kennedy, on the other hand, said he didn't know enough about Sacramento to make a joke about it, but he respects the city for having genuine comedy fans.

"The audiences really like to laugh up there," he said. "People go to San Francisco, and they go to Santa Barbara, but Sacramento gets neglected, and I think it's a good place to see comedy."

Thursday and Friday night, Kennedy will bring his multifaceted approach of humor -- and perhaps a few hecklers -- to Laughs Unlimited in Old Sacramento.

Kennedy's willingness to talk about serious issues like the Gulf Coast oil spill is perhaps a sign that he had a humbling past, one that saw him living out of a car before he made it big in Hollywood. The Philadelphia-born actor moved to Los Angeles as a teenager and made it big in the first two "Scream" films before starring in the TV show "The Jamie Kennedy Experiment" from 2002 to 2004 and doing stand-up.

Now 40, Kennedy's recent television credits include the last two seasons of "The Ghost Whisperer," with former girlfriend and co-star Jennifer Love Hewitt (cancelled last month), and voicing the animated character Federline Jones on "The Cleveland Show." In 2006, he recorded a comedy rap album called "Blowin' Up," which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Kennedy has a knack for turning negatives into positives. He credited taking something negative and finding humor in it for propelling him to success.

That includes rolling with hecklers and harsh critics. After starring in the 2006 film "Son of the Mask," Kennedy received a Golden Raspberry Award nomination for worst actor in addition to a number of online reviews calling for his death.

As a result, Kennedy released the 2007 documentary "Heckler," which examines the roles of hecklers and critics and their relationship to entertainers. Ironically, it received a number of good reviews in Variety, Inland Empire Weekly and Horror.com along with some unfavorable ones.

After a heckler interrupted the recording of his stand-up for the 2006 film "Unwashed," Kennedy had a humorous dialogue with her about whether to use the word "waitress" or "server." In a recent five-day residency at a comedy club in Tempe, Ariz., Kennedy said a likely-inebriated heckler was kicked out of the audience every night.

"It's part of comedy, so you've basically got to deal with it," he said. "In a perfect world, I'd do my stuff, people laugh and I go home. It's only fun when it works for the show, when they say something that's off the mark, not just interrupting (and) commenting on what you're saying."

Kennedy's future projects continue to be diverse, including a Showtime special in November and a horror movie, though not the next "Scream" film.

"I guess I'm everything and nothing," he said of his career. "Some days I'll tell jokes, some days I'll act or rap. It's just about creative expression. If I can do it and people accept it, that's what I am."

Tickets cost $20 and can be purchased at laughsunlimited.com. Kennedy will perform Thursday at 8 p.m. and Friday at 8 and 10:30 p.m. Laughs Unlimited is located at 1207 Front St.

Café Americain's July celebrations

2010-06-30T03:40:33Z

Café Americain is celebrating summer with three bashes next month.

The Old Sacramento restaurant is throwing parties for Bastille Day on July 10, the grand opening of Sacramento's first "speakeasy" on July 16 and a Summer Bohemian Ball on July 17.

Owners Mike and Natalya Wahba said they want to turn their champagne and caviar house at 1023 Front St. into the place for Sacramentans to revel in fine food, decadent drink and all things passionate.

"It's all about passion for life, for arts, for food, for entertainment," Mike Wahba said. "That's the standard we want to set."

Fire dancers, the Sacramento Opera, Corti Brothers' owner Darrell Corti and the owners of Sterling Caviar will join them to mark France's national holiday with "A Midsummer Night's Dream Celebrating Bastille Day" from 7-10 p.m. on Saturday, July 10.

The event will include three caviar/Russian vodka pairings with commentary by Corti, French absinthe, champagne and wine tasting with three local wineries yet to be chosen. A sturgeon feast will be laid out in the courtyard, where costumed opera singers and fire dancers will entertain the crowd at intervals throughout the night. Some of the proceeds will benefit the Sacramento Opera, Wahba said.

The Bastille Day bash will cost $100 in advance and $150 at the door — but the first 70 people who sign up for a VIP guest list and make reservations by Monday will get a half-price discount and pay only $50.

"It's a celebration of all the fine arts and culture you find in Sacramento," he said.

On Friday, July 16, Café Americain will unveil its underground, upscale speakeasy, the Crescent Club, with a grand opening where everyone must arrive in Prohibition-era garb ranging from Zoot suits and tuxes to Roaring '20s cocktail dresses and gowns.

Speakeasies were secret drinking holes that operated from 1920 to 1933, when the sale of alcohol was banned throughout the country. Bars with speakeasy themes are a trend in cities like New York and San Francisco, where Slide and Bourbon & Branch operate.

The historic Booth Building, where Café Americain makes its home on the first floor, was originally owned by Newton Booth. Wahba said Booth threw a lot of parties there on his way to becoming governor. The back-door entrance through the courtyard — officially 1150 Firehouse Alley — will be reworked to give the place the feel of an illicit bar from yesteryear.

"It was crying out to be a speakeasy," Wahba said. "Maybe it was. I would not be surprised one bit."

Café Americain is open Thursday - Sunday for dinner from 5-9 p.m. The courtyard is open from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. The Wahbas are talking with the city about extending the speakeasy's entertainment hours until 4 a.m. after the grand opening. However, the bar will stop serving alcohol at 2 a.m., in accordance with state liquor laws, he said.

Plush furnishings, Prohibition-style art and antique wool rugs will be added to an interior defined by exposed brick, a low ceiling, heavy Asian doors and some of the building's 150-year-old street-level walls — in contrast to the restaurant's high red ceilings, candy-colored chandeliers and gilded vintage bordello sensuality.

The kitchen will offer caviar, raw foods such as beet "ravioli" and squash alfredo, and the rest of its menu throughout the night. The space has long been used as a bar or nightclub.

The grand opening and a masked Bohemian Ball will be held from 9 p.m. - 2 a.m. on consecutive nights. Cost for each night will be $25 in advance for the first 100 reservations and $50 at the door. Both events will include cabaret, burlesque, fire dancers and live, late-night blues featuring old blues standards.

The parties are being thrown to offer a romantic, late-night hang out for sophisticated, experienced revelers, Wahba said.

"We want to get away from the nightclub scene," he said. "We want to have a really fashionable, upscale speakeasy. It's kind of hidden and you get the best of everything."

To get on the guest list, email guestlist@crescentclub.us. For more information, call 498-9098. Photo of Mike and Natalya Wahba provided by Café Americain. Other photos by Suzanne Hurt, a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Sacramento Fourth of July roundup

2010-06-30T03:23:02Z

Looking for an explosive way to spend your Fourth of July? Well, look no further. We’ve compiled a list of some of the best Fourth of July events in the Sacramento area.

Sacramento

Cal Expo will once again host an Independence Day Celebration sponsored by Coca-Cola and Miller Lite at the Miller Lite Grandstand near the East Gate entrance. The festivities will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a performance from Mick Martin and the Blues Rockers. State Fair mascot Poppy will also be there to entertain the crowds. Cal Expo’s media partner, radio station 107.9 The End, will provide music to the spectacular fireworks show, starting at 9:30 p.m. Parking for the event is $10, and general admission to the show is free. You can also buy reserved seating for $10 at tickets.com, or at the East Gate box office beginning at 3 p.m. Sunday. Cal Expo is located on 1600 Exposition Blvd.

The Sacramento River Cats will be having their own celebration at Raley Field on Friday and Saturday as they host the Fresno Grizzlies. On Friday, the team will honor Sacramento firefighters with a firefighters' night. Fire engine displays will be set up, and firefighters in attendance will be recognized on the field. Stick around after the game for the fireworks, a kick-off to their weekend celebrations. And as the Cats close out their three-game series with the Grizzlies on Saturday, the U.S. Army will present the Sutter Health Fireworks Extravaganza and start the Fourth of July with a bang. Tickets to the games can be purchased online at rivercats.com, or at the Raley Field box office. Raley Field is located at 400 Ballpark Drive in West Sacramento.

If you want to watch the Raley Field fireworks in a classier setting, you can climb aboard the Hornblower yacht in Old Sacramento. Departing from Front Street, the cruise will begin at 7 p.m. and will include the fireworks show, dinner, and dancing. Tickets for the Hornblower are $109 and can be reserved at the Hornblower website.

Old Sacramento’s newest street theater program, “Time Travel Weekends," will put an Independence Day twist on its historical re-enactments for the Fourth of July weekend. Guests can take part in square dancing, croquet, pie-eating contests and picnics while enjoying military parades and cannon firings. The weekend will also feature a reading of the Declaration of Independence.

The Grange Restaurant and Bar on 926 J Street will host its inaugural All American barbecue. The three-course menu will include all the barbecue fixings you love on the Fourth of July. The meal starts with a salad with ranch dressing. The second course provides a slow-cooked Riverdog Farm hog with Carolina barbecue sauce, corn on the cob and potato salad. For dessert, the restaurant offers a berry cobbler with vanilla ice cream. The all-American meal is $35 per person.

The Sacramento Firecracker 5K/10K will be held at McKinley Park at 8 a.m. Saturday. Participants will be given a free short-sleeve T-shirt at the event. Adults and children can take part in a 5K or a 10K run or walk. Registration is $35 until Wednesday for adults, and $40 on race day. Children 15 and under can participate for $20. Proceeds will benefit the Wounded Warrior Project, a group that aims to help injured men and women in the service.

If you prefer to run for free, the Buffalo Chips Running Club will host its 35th annual Fourth of July five mile run, starting at Glen Hall Park on the corner of Sandburg and Carlson Drives in River Park at 8 a.m. Arrive by 7:45 a.m. to sign in. The kid’s half-mile race begins at 7:45 for ages 10 and younger, and the five mile race begins at 8 a.m.

On Saturday, the Sacramento Pocket area will host its annual Spirit of the Pocket Parade. The parade, featuring about 60 floats, will start at 10 a.m. at Lisbon Elementary School, located at 7775 S. Land Park Drive, and will end at Garcia Bend Park on 7654 Pocket Road. The Grand Marshall of this year’s parade will be Bandit, the German shepherd police dog that was recently shot in the line of duty. Other notables at the parade will be Senate President Pro-Tem Darrell Steinberg and Councilman Robbie Waters. At the end of the parade, a community fair will be held at Garcia Bend Park, where different area businesses will show off some of their wares.

Carmichael

Enjoy a pancake breakfast on the Fourth of July at the Carmichael Park Elks Club Lodge, located at 5631 Cypress Ave. After breakfast, the Carmichael Elks will hold their 52nd annual Fourth of July parade, beginning at 11 a.m. on Marconi and Fair Oaks and ending at the Elks Club Lodge. A celebration will follow at the La Sierra Community Center on 5325 Engle Rd., which will include an outdoor barbecue, live music and dancing, free swimming and games for the kids. The fireworks show will begin at 9:30 p.m. at the La Sierra Community Center.

Citrus Heights

In Citrus Heights, Sunrise Mall, located at 6196 Sunrise Mall, will host a free celebration from noon to 9 p.m. Thursday through July 6. The festivities will include live music beginning at 7:30 p.m., a kid’s carnival and a 3D fireworks show. On Independence Day, the mall will present a fireworks show in the parking lot at 9:30 p.m. Special 3D glasses will be distributed for the show, and radio station 98 Rock will provide synchronized music for the festivities.

Rancho Cordova

Rancho Cordova will begin its two-day celebration of Independence Day at 10 a.m. Saturday with a parade on Coloma Road and Cordova Lane. Activities for the children will be provided from 1-6 p.m. at Hagan Park, located on 2197 Chase Drive, including a carnival, water show, tae kwon do, train rides, petting zoo, pony rides and pedal boats. A beer garden will be open from noon until 11 p.m. At 8:30 p.m., former Bad Company singer Brian Howe will perform live. A fireworks show will begin at 9:45 p.m., and on July 4th, Carmichael will provide more food, music and fun. Along with the kids' zone and beer garden, party band Busta-Groove will perform at 8:30 p.m., followed by the grand finale fireworks at 9:45 p.m. Parking is $10 at the park.

Folsom

Presented by the Folsom Chamber of Commerce, the Folsom Pro Rodeo is offering a new laser light show for fans along with nightly fireworks displays. The rodeo begins at 6:30 p.m. Thursday with a Bullipede, where brightly-dressed teams of five runners gallop in a western-style race. Also at 6:30 is the cattle drive. Cowboys will parade steers down Sutter Street in the true fashion of the Old West. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the rodeo gates will open at 6 p.m., with roping events starting at 7 p.m. and riding events at 8:15 p.m. After dusk, enjoy the laser and fireworks show while enjoying live music from the Dave Russell Band and a drink in Mike's Golden Spike Saloon. The rodeo is held at the Dan Russell arena, located at 401 Stafford St. in Folsom. Reserved tickets are $22.50 in advance. General admission is $19 for adults, $15 for children 12 and under, and $15 for seniors. Visitors can park at the nearby Wal-Mart on 1018 Riley St. and ride a free shuttle to the arena.

Local Bat Rescue Educates in Old Sacramento

2010-06-28T06:48:41Z

Parents looked closely and children's eyes widened as Northern California Bats' founder Corky Quirk used two live bats to educate in Old Sacramento Saturday.

Quirk brought a Mexican Free-Tailed bat and Big Brown bat to Trail Mix, a store selling outdoor merchandise and projects for children and adults. About 40 children, parents and adults attended the event, and about 20 more trickled in after to see the bats.

"It went really well with standing room only," Quirk said. "People were really quiet, which really surprised me, but they stayed a long time, which says something to me."

Quirk said she wanted to help people understand the importance of bats, what they do for the environment and dispel fears and myths.

"My favorite part was the Big Brown bat," said Allison Barlow, 7. "I like the color of the fur on top."

Sacramento residents are most likely to come in contact with the Free-Tailed bat. A large colony lives under the Yolo causeway, Quirk said.

"They'll eat a variety of insects but their favorite insects are moths," Quirk said. "They're really important for our crops, and we have an awful lot of farmland around here, so that's a big job."

"Everybody liked it when the bats were eating," store owner Mike Barlow said. "There were lots of oohs and aahs. Everyone got to see the bats up close."

Quirk has been working with bats for six years. She began working in the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area's educational programs. She became intrigued by the bat program and mentored under the woman who operated it. The woman quit, and Quirk took her position. She began with wildlife rescue and has expanded into educational programs. Quirk averages one educational visit or program per week.

Quirk founded Northern California Bats three years ago. According to its website, it is dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of bats throughout Northern California. The organization says that bats found injured or orphaned should not be touched and asks people to call so a trained volunteer can retrieve the bat and care for it.

"It's the opportunity for me to come in contact with people," she said. "I do wildlife rescue, and over the course of a year we might have a couple hundred bats that come through. But I know I can save a lot more when I get the opportunity to come and talk to people because there are so many fears out there with people. When we don't understand something, we tend to do the wrong thing."

For more information on Northern California Bats, visit their website.

Photos:

1) Trail Mix exterior.

2) The Free-Tailed bat.

3) The Big Brown bat.

4) Quirk shows the free-tailed bat to visitors.

5) Quirk educates visitors on local bats.

Agnus-Dei Farrant is an intern for The Sacramento Press.

History comes alive in Old Sacramento

2010-06-28T03:51:33Z

Unsuspecting visitors to Old Sacramento this weekend were confronted with a man named Dr. Cornelius Poindexter claiming to sell miracle elixirs saying that they cure everything from measles to hair loss.

“The cream, when applied to the skin, removes unwanted freckles, warts, boils, blemishes, carbuncles, what-cha-ma-goofers and thing-ma-bobs…whatever you wish to remove,” Poindexter said. “It’s a remedy for alcoholism, and it also cures terminal illnesses.”

“It even cures baldness!” Poindexter shouted to a bald shopper. “I can grow hair on a rock!”

Poindexter quickly disappeared, however, when an older man in a yellow scarf and wide-brimmed hat appeared, claiming to be Charles Crocker himself, one of the founders of the Central Pacific Railroad. “Upon which we drive such ruffians out of town,” Crocker said.

Poindexter cleared his throat. “I wouldn’t know anything about being tarred and feathered,” he said before leaving.

The miracle medicine man was just one of the volunteers helping to take Old Sacramento back to early years of the city with a street theater program.

“We’re indulging ourselves in a little time twisting,” Crocker portrayer Carl West said.

Children were able to make dolls out of straws with the help of one settler, while others took the games to the field next to the Discovery Museum, where they played games like Battledore-- an early form of Backgammon where players hit a cork with wooden paddles back and forth in an effort to keep it off the ground.

Another popular game with visitors was Graces, which involves each player holding two wooden rods. The rods are crossed toward the base and an embroidery hoop decorated with ribbons is tossed to another player by quickly separating the crossed rods. The player on the receiving end catches the hoop with one of his or her dowels and tosses it back in the same fashion.

While some children seemed hesitant to play a game without batteries, they quickly forgot the video games waiting at home.

“As the kids are running around having tons of fun, I’ll turn to the parents and tell them, ‘Now, absolutely nothing plugs in, and your child is having a tremendously enjoyable time with two dowels and an embroidery hoop with a little ribbon on it,'” Red Barn Production’s Wells Twombly said. “We try to introduce some of the simple pleasures and remind kids that there was a lot of fun in the world before they invented Nintendo.”

Red Barn Productions and the Old Sacramento Living History group teamed up to bring history out into the streets. Some participants play music while others act out scenes. One little girl in 19th century dress got her basket stolen by a little boy. The girl chased him throughout the streets of Old Sacramento shouting “Thief!”

Historical gunfights are also staged in the cobblestone streets throughout the summer weekends. “We we’re trying to do is get away from these sort of bang-bang, stick-‘em-up sort of movie things and moving them in the direction of historical scenarios,” Twombly said. “What we’ll be doing here over the next couple of years hopefully is developing more historical exhibits living and breathing right here in the streets.”

So far, the reaction has been positive. People laugh as the man selling the elixirs tries to con them into a miracle cream that smells suspiciously like mayonnaise while children enjoy making the same kind of toys that children in the 19th century played with. And the games are a hit with all ages.

A controversial stage show also plays at the Eagle Theatre, where dancer Lola Montag shows a bit of leg and performs the much-talked about spider dance. “It’s best not to discuss it in the presence of ladies,” Twombly joked.

Lotta Crabtree, the Queen of the Fairy Stars, also performs at each show.

“When it was all mostly gentlemen out here, it was such that they so missed the company of womanhood in general that even the smallest female child could become a star singing and dancing upon the stage,” Twombly explained. “Gold would be thrown at their feet just in tears in remembrance of their own children that they left behind.”

The Fairy Stars, Lotta Crabtree included, represent those girls who became stars in the early mining town.

Old Sacramento’s street theater will continue every Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. and will feature gunfights, parlor games, and some familiar characters from the early days of Sacramento wandering the streets in a time warp to the past.

Get batty Saturday

2010-06-26T01:08:36Z

Things will get a little batty in Old Sacramento Saturday when Trail Mix and a wildlife rescue group team up to educate people about bats.

Corky Quirk, founder of Northern California Bats, will bring live, wild bats to help dispel some of the myths about these nocturnal creatures. She will also teach people about the benefits and habits of the mysterious winged mammals in a presentation from 1-3 p.m. at Trail Mix, a store selling outdoor merchandise for kids and parents at 116B I St., across from the California State Railroad Museum.

Thousands of bats roost in the nooks and crannies of the city. In summer, a colony of 150,000 to 200,000 bats live under the Yolo Causeway and may be seen flying into the night sky.

California is home to 24 species of bats. Many winter in other countries. Quirk rehabilitates injured and orphaned bats. She will bring two of those most commonly found in the Sacramento Valley: the Brazilian or "Mexican" Free-Tailed bat, which has a 12-inch to 14-inch wingspan, and a Big Brown bat, which has a 13- to 16-inch wingspan and is often seen flying around city lights.

"The one people in Sacramento are most likely to come in contact with are Mexican Free-Tailed bats," Quirk said. "They live all over Old Sacramento in all those old buildings."

The Free-Tailed bat has an obvious tail, an erratic flight and appears precisely at sunset. Their colonies easily number in the thousands. Big Brown bats are harder to spot because their maternal colonies are so much smaller — usually numbering about 20, she added.

Others just as common to the valley include Pallid bats, Western Red bats, Hoary bats, and California and Yuma Myotis bats, which often roost behind signs or under bridges.

The largest bat in California is the Mastiff, which has an 18-inch wingspan. Bats living in the Sacramento Valley have wingspans ranging from 9 to 16 inches. But the bodies are only about 3 to 5 inches long.

"Usually, the thing that people comment the most about is they have no idea how small they are," Quirk said. "They're tiny little animals, and in the United States, all they eat are bugs."

For more information, contact Sara and Mike Barlow at Trail Mix at 498-9090 or Northern California Bats at 530-902-1918. Photos provided by Northern California Bats.

Get the Lowdown... Advance Tickets Available Now for Old Sac Underground Tours!

2010-06-25T23:15:25Z

How low can you go?!

Advance tickets for coveted “Old Sacramento Underground” tours are available now and can be purchased online at www.historicoldsac.org. Given Old Sacramento has the distinction of being the only city in California to raise its streets and interest is high in the new offering, additional tours have been added to meet the expected demand.   Coordinated by the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation (HOSF) and in partnership with the City of Sacramento, California State Parks, Old Sacramento Business Association and participating merchants and businesses, these educational and entertaining tours of the underground in Old Sacramento will be available Thursdays through Sundays beginning July 10 and continuing through October 31, 2010.

With new and expanded availability, “Old Sacramento Underground” tours will be offered as follows: on Thursdays and Fridays, tours depart every 30 minutes from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; on Saturdays and Sundays, tours depart every 30 minutes from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (although no tours will be available at 2:30 or 3:00 p.m. due to special stage performances in Old Sacramento).

Tours of the underground last approximately one hour in length and tour check-in is located at the Sacramento History Museum, 101 I Street in Old Sacramento. Underground visitors will need to be prepared to walk on uneven surfaces in areas that have low ceilings and in occasional small spaces.

The entertaining and history-rich “Old Sacramento Underground” tours will provide visitors with a unique glimpse into the massive and dramatic undertaking that took place when the streets were painstakingly raised in the 1860s through the 1870s to protect the city from devastating flooding.   Underground tour visitors will have the opportunity to view disappearing windows and doors, dipping alleyways, exposed retaining walls, walk into underground hollow sidewalks and tour historic buildings all while being entertained and educated by tour guides and docents who portray characters true to the period.

While the last underground tours for 2010 will take place on Sunday, October 31 (Halloween), the program will resume in April 2011 and continue indefinitely. Box office questions can be sent via email to tickets@historicoldsac.org and more information about Foundation membership is available by calling 916-808-7059.

Art and Wine: Second Saturday in Old Sacramento

2010-06-12T17:13:36Z

Against the backdrop of Old Sacramento's historic architecture, participating Old Sacramento businesses will celebrate local art, wine, music and food every Second Saturday, 4-7:00PM.

I have always considered Second Saturday to be a Midtown event. However, over the years I have also heard a growing number of complaints that Second Saturday was becoming less of an art walk and more of a party.

Now Old Sacramento businesses including the Artists Collaborative Gallery, Cafe Americain, Delta King, Fat's Catering, Firehouse Restaurant, Skalet Family Jewlers, Steamers Bakery and Cafe, Taylor's Art and Soul, and Ten 22 have teamed up to bring "Art and Wine" to those who may be disenchanted with what Second Saturday has become in Midtown.

It seems to me that Old Sacramento is trying to appeal to a more mature and affluent audience that prefers Jazz and wine over hip-hop and beer.

Visit OldSacramento.com to find out more.

Note: Practical Cycle is not formally involved with this event, but we do have local art on display from our good friend Kathy Caitano at Artistic Edge.

Practical Cycle: Cycling Made Affordable

2010-06-07T06:25:41Z

Our mission at Practical Cycle is to make cycling more practical for everyday people.

To better serve this purpose, we have decided to expand our product line in an effort to make cycling more affordable. Practical Cycle is now proud to offer 3G Bikes starting at only $189.

The world is shrinking and today's highly competitive, rapidly changing global economy demands that we quickly adapt to the marketplace and embrace change. As a small business, we feel that one of our greatest strengths is our flexibility and ability to think on our feet.

Over the past few months we have learned that many people simply cannot afford a Made in USA Worksman or Pedego Electric Bike. (Probably because they spend so much money on their automobiles.) We have also had numerous requests for something similar to a Pedego only without the motor.

3G Bikes is the final product of many years of hard work, life experiences, and dreams of founder, president and designer Gary Silva. Gary strives to design and build the most comfortable, stylish and affordable recreational bikes in the world. He is passionate about his work and it shows in his designs!

3G Bikes are designed with the rider in mind. From design, to concept, to final product, Gary ensures they are safe, handle and perform well, and are masterfully crafted. They are ergonomically correct and fully adjustable, so the you can find your comfort zone while maintaining a powerful pedal stroke.

Learn more about 3GBikes at PracticalCycle.com/products.

Visit Practical Cycle in Old Sacramento for a free test ride.

Old Fashioned Shooting Gallery Set To Open In Old Sacramento

2010-06-01T23:07:19Z

The River City Shooting Gallery is set to open its doors for tourists and locals looking for an old fashioned shoot-em-up good time when visiting Old Sacramento.

SACRAMENTO, CA (June 1, 2010) As the economy seems to be recovering, the owners of The River City Saloon in Old Sacramento have decided to keep building on the fun theme they brought to Old Sacramento by opening a new venture called The River City Shooting Gallery.

Over the years, Sean Derfield has always felt that the Old Sacramento area was missing one thing: an old west themed saloon with a family friendly shooting gallery for the many tourists and families that visit the area. But after realizing that his saloon, that opened last year, could not house the 600 square foot shooting gallery, he realized it would have to wait.Well after the first year of the saloon being a success with locals and tourists alike, it was time to open the shooting galley. After months of haggling with local landlords and trying to make them see his vision of what fun this would be, D&S Development gave him a thumbs up by signing a lease for the vacant 131 K Street location located in the historic Union Hotel. The shooting gallery will feature 6 rifles for kids and adults alike to shoot at props that fit the Old Sacramento theme. Props that pop, explode, and talk back to you include a heckling fox, dancing ducks, talking skull heads and much more.The River City Shooting Gallery is located in Old Sacramento at 131 K Street, Sacramento, CA, 95814 and their Grand Opening will be Thursday, June 3rd, 2010.

###

For more information about this topic, please contact Sean Derfield by calling 916.524.5275, or e-mail Sean Derfield at sederfield@hotmail.com