Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "open2009"

Ask Office Michelle - Pitbulls Loose in Church Parking lot

2011-01-09T17:54:31Z

Posted by crawdad5150

Officer Michelle, we have several pit bull dogs running astray in the parking lots at St Paul Baptist Church on 14th Ave. As these dogs are unpredictable, will mace or pepper spray have an affect on these dogs? What can we do to keep the the public safe, on and around the church campus? Thanks.
crawdad5150

Dear crawdad5150,

No dog, let alone a pit bull, should be running astray in a public place. I will forward this email to the City of Sacramento Animal Control Division. Meanwhile, if you need to protect yourself against a dog, mace will not work because dogs don’t have tear ducts. Pepper spray, which includes an oleo based resin, will work on dogs. It makes their eyes burn and causes them to sneeze. Pepper spray is what letter carriers with the U.S. Postal Service carry in case they have an aggressive encounter or if they need to protect themselves from an animal including dogs.

The Sacramento Animal Control Division handles all animal type of complaints within the city limits. Their telephone number is 916-264-5011, or 311 if you live in the city limits. They should get back to you, but if you haven’t heard anything in a few days, call them. If you need immediate attention, or if the situation is in progress and the dogs are aggressive, you can always call 911. Keep me posted on this!

Officer Michelle

Whither Oak Park? Part 2

2009-11-03T22:17:58Z

Continued from part one....read part one here

Well, things didn’t quite work out that way. We married then quickly divorced, but not before my husband got his green card; I worked for Wired magazine in San Francisco, then left the magazine after two years to work full time as a freelancer once again. It was a rough life, made even rougher by my crazy landlord of seven years plotting to find “legal” ways to evict me. I was in the midst of fighting her insane legal efforts, when I got word that I had been awarded the Knight International Press Fellowship to Uganda in 2003. I promptly dropped my counter-suit against my loony landlady, Manuela, moved back to Sacramento, met my long-time boyfriend while was tending bar at my new, local favorite hangout, Joe Marty’s, and proceeded to prepare for nine months in Uganda, and beyond.

Well, we already know what happened next - the bad motorcycle accident and broken ankle which dumped me back in Sacramento. Except that I made one more run at Africa in 2005; I tried to go to Zimbabwe as a foreign journalist, stay under the radar of President Mugabe, who had banned all foreign journalists, and spent most of my short time there travelling back and forth across the border to South Africa, to renew my “tourist’s” visa every two weeks. I was ignominiously kicked out of the country after less than a month.

I returned to the arms of my boyfriend Ken, and the erstwhile charms of Sacramento. I was depressed, once again. It was too early for me to be back in the States, let alone Sacramento, and even though I loved my boyfriend, I hated my life and even his perennially bachelor-pad town house.

So when we were forced to move from it, you would think I would have been overjoyed. I was and I wasn’t. I didn’t like having to find a house on our budget in a few weeks, and I was in no physical condition to move since my car accident in 2006 had left me practically disabled. So I “let” my mom and boyfriend do all the work, I practically just sat on my ass and did nothing while they did everything.

So, here I was, still in Sacramento, still depressed and in despair and chronic pain, and wondering what the hell I was doing in Oak Park. It wasn’t nearly as cool as midtown, or so I thought, I didn’t take to my neighbors right away, and they didn’t take to me, and I fought with my boyfriend constantly. Largely over the fact that I would mostly sit around and watch TV and movies, and write the very occasional freelance piece for the Sacramento News & Review.

Well a few pivotal things happened to me recently that have literally turned my life around. A few months ago, my boyfriend of seven years moved out on me. That fact alone turned me back on myself; now, I had only myself to blame for my misery and isolation. So I started going out around the neighborhood by myself, mostly on my bike. I met great local merchants and friendly, local restaurateurs. I got to know my closest neighbors, who are all kind and trustworthy. I discovered the local budding, artist’s and gallery community, centering around such venerable exhibition spaces as the 40 Acres Gallery, and the Brickhouse, both on Broadway, a few blocks from where I live. I discovered an old friend had moved nearby, so close that we would ride our bikes to each other’s houses and hang out.

I also began to observe a very ambivalent vibe that I think might be exclusive to Oak Park. For example, the people who live in the houses of Oak Park are by and large, friendly, upstanding, and law-abiding citizens. But some aren’t, like the neighborhood kid who nearly ran me over with his flash Mercedes Benz, running through a stop sign, while I was on my bike in the intersection. He got out of his car, called me a bitch, pushed me, then grabbed my cell phone and threw it on the ground, breaking it. As he drove off, he threatened to “get me," if he saw me again. I memorized his license plate number and reported him to the police. They were very polite to me about it, but not terribly concerned about the threat, and said they would drive around for a while looking for him and that was about it. My guess is that they felt they have better things to pursue in Oak Park, and they are probably right. But their relatively au fait attitude towards the incident was rather off-putting, and I can understand the locals not liking the local beat cops in this neighborhood.

Then there are some merchants around here who are just plain mean. For example, the folks at Food Source, the only major food store in the area, refuse to serve certain folks who want to buy things from them. My local friends have been approached by apparently homeless men, who sleep sometimes in the empty lot across from Food Source. These men have asked my friends to take their money and go in and buy things for them, as Food Source will not take their business, even though they have the money, are bothering no one, are full dressed, and recently, at least, bathed.

I think that attitude on the part of Food Source’s management is disgusting.

Also, Food Source apparently has its own little police patrol car/private army, and policemen, perpetually parked in front of the store, whose beat is solely to protect Food Source from what, exactly? Homeless men who want to buy food there? An anticipated riot among local youths in the cereal aisle? I couldn’t guess, but I think the mere fact that Food Source and the Sacramento Police Department deem it necessary to keep a police car parked permanently out in front of the Food Source, is pathetic and revolting. I would even go so far as to recommend that locals boycott Food Source for that very reason, if not dozen’s of others, too numerous to mention.

Happily, I have found that most local merchants are nothing like Food Source. They are friendly, courteous, and law-abiding, in that they happily serve anyone who has the money and the proper attire.

So, I actually dig Oak Park. I am happy that they are getting rid of the local Starbucks on Broadway, to be replaced by a much more apt food and coffee joint called Soul Power. Every day, without fail, someone in my neighborhood, usually someone I don’t know, waves hello as I ride or drive by. The prices on most local merchandise can’t be beat. And strangers regularly try to turn you into friends.

I hope the admirable new mayor of Sacramento, Kevin Johnson, has great development plans for Oak Park. We all know he owns property here, and apparently makes his early morning jog through here, so we can have high expectations for his intentions for this neighborhood. I tried to get a hold of him and/or his communications director, Joaquim, before my deadline, but to no avail.

So I turned to perhaps even better sources on the prospects of Oak Park, past, present and future. A handful of local business owners and residents that work right around the corner from me.

The first is the handsome, charismatic, strapping owner of Kidd’s Gym on Second Avenue, Charles Kidd.

Kidd is not from Oak Park, and indeed not even from Sacramento; he comes from South Carolina originally. But he has become a de facto local leader and inspiration, especially among the youth of Oak Park.

A former college wide receiver, Kidd has worked in the Oak Park division of the Sacramento City Parks and Recreation Department for many years, mostly in the Physical Education department. He has been one of the people in charge of many local, after-school phys-ed programs for local high school students like those from Sacramento High, and he has now extended his interest in physical education, in particular with regard to the training of talented, local high school athletes, through his very own business, Kidd’s Gym.

He explains his success with these “surrogate children” of his simply. “You get what you give; I give them respect, they give me respect back." This can be a bit of a surprise in the current cultural atmosphere where parents and teachers of his “kids," are more permissive, and are more likely to want to be their friends, than to earn their respect. Kidd thinks this is a huge mistake. “You are not going to get a kid to pay attention to your position of authority of any kind, if you don’t command it in the right way."

I haven’t even mentioned the most amazing thing about 51-year-old, apparently tireless, Kidd. In addition to having raised six children of his own, he is currently the foster father of four teenage boys. They came to him from troubled backgrounds; now they are all good students and talented athletes. Why does he do it? Hasn’t he paid his fatherhood dues? Well, he says, “I learned by being raised by a good community.” I asked him if he meant that it “takes a village to raise a child.” “No, I mean that I was raised right by my mother, my grandmother, and other members of my family and I feel that I can pass on those values and help these kids.” He does so, by the way, as a single parent; he is not currently married. You ladies out there, pay attention!

Then there are the husband-and-wife local entrepreneurs and residents of Oak Park, Linda and Eddie Hill, who run a second-hand furniture and appliance business out of their property at 3940 Broadway, called Broadway Plaza. I call Linda and Eddie entrepreneurs, and they certainly are that, managing various Oak Park properties and other property-related services. But really, they are the “missionaries” of Oak Park, without the bible-thumping beat that might otherwise drown out their message.

“We do what we do, really, not to make money, but to help people,” say’s Linda, a handsome, witty, middle-aged woman with two kids, who is originally from Long Island, New York. Somehow, she made her way out to Sacramento and eventually Oak Park. She and her husband Eddie have lived and worked in Oak Park for nearly 15 years. She has high hopes for the future of Oak Park, but remembers when, only about ten years ago, the crime in her neighborhood in Oak Park was so bad, that she was afraid to sit on her own front porch, even during the day, because of the random gunplay and gang warfare nearby.

In spite of that experience, she will always have faith in the inherent goodness of people. Sometimes she gets “rewarded” for that faith by unwittingly welcoming a bad, law-breaking tenant into one of her rental properties in the neighborhood. She can, as she says, be “too soft-hearted,” when people come to her with their sob stories. She will give people breaks on rent, breaks on furniture, appliances and knick knacks they need for their home – she will even let people pay in installments, just so they can go home that day with a bed to sleep on or an oven to cook in.

By her estimation, she and her husband have helped furnish over 24 homes in Oak Park for families that have very little money. And she always makes sure that they are getting clean, high quality, working items. Also, by her estimation, she has helped provide at least 34 Oak Park families with computers that had none before. She sells them the whole computer set up at an amazingly discounted price, and loads the computer with her own software, so they don’t have to buy it themselves.

It’s the kids involved in these scenarios that she is most moved by. “A LOT of kids in this community don’t have access to computers in their homes, and everyone should have that. It’s become essential,” like having a working toilet, or some such.

And now, here is my final, emotional and spiritual and journalistic connection I would like to make between the relevancy of my experience in the “new” South Africa, and living here in Oak Park. In both places, there is a sense of expectation, of hope, of ambition, of dreams that can come true, where before there was none. For me, personally, as I discover Oak Park in my solitary perambulations, I feel the same sense of newness, of wonder at things never seen or experienced before, and of people of a certain, lovely, singular character that I had never come across before. When I sent to South Africa at that crucial time in its history, I saw and experienced wondrous things, good and bad, but mostly good. And that is exactly how I feel about my “discovery” of Oak Park as it is right now. It is a place in transition. And it is heading in a direction that I believe is for the better.

Whither Oak Park? Part 1

2009-11-03T22:14:24Z

I am year-and-a-half resident of Oak Park. I have lived here that long, at first very reluctantly, then somewhat ambivalently, and now, finally with great enthusiasm.

The initial reluctance I blame more on myself, my circumstances in moving here, and my sluggish, even inert, bare involvement in the actual moving process. My then-boyfriend and I had been served notice by his landlord, that they were selling his townhouse in midtown Sacramento soon; we had very, very little time to find a new, comfortable, and appropriate place to live.

We are both underpaid freelancers of a sort; he is a bartender/house painter/will be-something-more-fulfilling later in life. I am an avowed, diehard, almost lifelong freelance journalist. I have lived and worked abroad, primarily in Africa, and never, ever expected to come back to my hometown, Sacramento, for any great length of time - other than the obligatory holiday and family visits. But a serious of vehicular accidents that I was involved in and seriously injured in, the first in a motorcycle accident in Uganda in 2004, then a near-death car accident at 11:30 am on December 26th, 2006, in the suburban neighborhood of my mother’s house in El Dorado Hills, left me, on both occasions, crippled, though temporarily, both physically and emotionally.

After the Uganda accident, where I shattered my ankle while on the fourth month of a nine-month Knight International Press Fellowship, I was summarily requested, by my sponsors, to return to the States to rehabilitate properly.

The rehabilitation part was easy. The ignominious return to Sacramento was very, very hard. I moved in with my then very new-boyfriend, did my physical therapy perfunctorily, and not much else for about six months. After all, I hadn’t planned on coming back. Not to Sacramento and maybe not back to the States. Ever.

But there I was living in midtown, a nice, jivey, area in downtown Sac, with close, world class restaurants, clubs and shops, and a very kindly, patient, attentive, and handsome boyfriend. So things weren’t ALL that bad, right?

Well, I got it into my head that I wasn’t finished with Africa, and it wasn’t finished with me. This in spite of the fact, that after I had achieved a master’s in journalism in 1991, I promptly took off for South Africa, in the wake of the release of Nelson Mandela, expecting great things for the “new” South Africa, and for myself, a relatively untried, first-time freelance foreign correspondent. I went over there very fecklessly; I had no contacts and no media outlet guarantees. I gave myself six months to make a go of it. After I managed to not starve in those first six months, mostly through the incredible largesse of local friends I made almost immediately, both black and white, both in the business of journalism and outside of it, I decided to give it (southern Africa) two more years. I KNEW that the country’s first, free, and fair democratic elections were coming, and I had to be there to witness that.

Well, that day came and went, not without disruptive, awful violence, some of which hit close to home; one photographer friend of mine, Ken Oosterbrook, talented, dedicated, and crazy-brave, was hit by “friendly fire,” meaning the South African Defense Force, and was killed, during a live shoot-out between the SADF and some black township dwellers.

Another acquaintance, Greg Marinovich, was also shot that same day, but survived and recovered completely. He went on to write about that and other exploits of members of the so-called “Bang-Bang Club," a band of local photographers who kept their ears to the police radio waves, paged each other, night and day, and tracked the violent outbreaks, wherever they might be, whenever they might occur, 24-7. Doing so had won Marinovich a Pulitzer, for taking the photograph of a live “necklacing” in a township. A necklacing is when a mob of angry township dwellers, affiliated with either the Inkatha Freedom Party or the opposing African National Congress party, would clash, single out a primary conspirator, throw a rubber car tire around his neck, light it on fire and dance around in glee while they watched him burn to death.

Marinovich took this photo, did not intervene with the necklacing process, either to protest it, or stop it, won the Pulitzer Prize Award, and never looked back. That was all well and good, as those seasoned war journalists among us knew that we were not the story, we were the story-tellers; no matter how horrific the things were that happened before us, we generally did not intervene; the thinking was that the greater contribution would be to get the story or photo of the horrific event out there in the world at large. That way, change would likely take place on a larger scale, for the greater good. It was Machiavellian, I know, and I’m not sure I was always good at adhering to that principle, but I NEVER judged those who did.

Unfortunately, those outside the fairly rarified world of war correspondents, often did. That was apparently, in large part, the cause of the death by suicide of another member of the “Bang-Bang Club,” Kevin Carter, also a good friend of mine at one time.

It was just three months or so after Carter had won the Pulitzer Prize for that now infamous photo he took of a tiny refugee girl in the Sudan, crawling vainly towards a feeding station, while a vulture stalked her over her shoulder.

Carter was a much more emotional and empathetic war photographer than his buddy, Greg Marinovich. Nevertheless, as he told us friends back in Jo-Burg, he did what was expected of him; took the photograph, then sat down, unmoving for a time, torn with emotion, but did not otherwise intervene. It was almost certain the little Sudanese girl would be dead within hours, with or without the feeding station or Carter’s intervention. So he finished up his assignment in the Sudan, and flew back to Jo-Burg.

Not long after that, he was informed that he had won the Pulitzer for that photo. We were all overjoyed on his behalf. He was a chronically underpaid, underecognized, courageous local talent and this was to be his big break.

Instead, it turned out to be his downfall. The whirlwind attention of states-side editors and interviewers, most of whom had little or no experience with actual war reporting themselves, began to pressure Carter with questions like “ What did you do, when you saw the dying little girl?” “Didn’t you pick her up and carry her to the food station?” “Didn’t you at least shoo away the vulture?” “Didn’t you try to save her somehow?”

But Kevin had done none of those things. Those of us in Jo-Burg knew this, because he told us so. He was among friends and like-minded colleagues with us; we did not expect him to do anything more than he did, which was to take a spectacular, world-changing, award-winning photo, and then move on to document the next calamity, the next unbearable injustice.

Nevertheless, the scrutinizing and judgmental international press and media were not satisfied with the true account of events. They hounded and pressured Carter, who was already somewhat emotionally fragile, until he finally began telling a different version of what happened that day in the Sudan. The more he was hounded and judged, the more his story morphed. First, it was that he had shooed away the vulture. Then, it was that picked up the little girl and carried her to the feeding station. Finally, it was he had carried her to the feeding station, and then went and sat under a nearby tree and cried for hours over the trauma. Of course, none of that happened. But the new versions shut up his critics. (One judgmental ass had even had the nerve to write to the New York Times, criticizing Carter and the paper for printing the photo).

When Carter came back from his whirlwind, stateside press tour, he did not exactly get a heroes’ welcome. It wasn’t his fault really, I mean really, whom, except for maybe someone like Marinovich, could have been inured to the criticism and questioning surrounding the circumstances of his actions? We at home in Jo-burg were not upset that he HADN’T intervened with the dying little girl. We were disappointed that Carter, who was too sensitive by far to do what he did and see what he saw, day-in and day-out, had felt the need to change his story to get the ravenous critics off his back.

Soon thereafter, Carter, already prone to abusing alcohol and drugs, fell into a profound tailspin. He got great assignments and well-paid jobs from prestigious news agencies after his award, but he kept screwing up even the simplest assignment. Towards the end of his life, he was sent to take some very straightforward photos at a regular press conference in Mozambique. He went, took the photos, and came back. But when he got off the plane in Jo-Burg, he couldn’t find his rolls of film. He panicked, he went into a kind of shock, he called all his friends to arms to help him find the photos, but he couldn’t locate them anywhere. Embarrassed and ashamed that he, a veteran war photographer, had screwed up such an easy assignment, he turned to more drugs and alcohol and sank into a deep despair.

He started calling around to his friends, saying that he was depressed and suicidal. (At the time, I was in the US with my then fiancé, who was also a friend of Carter’s. So we didn’t get the suicide threats, though he had once threatened to commit suicide to me, when I broke things off with him after a brief affair). He had attempted it once, at the age of 19, trying to escape conscription into the SADF, but was thankfully saved. Since that time, he had threatened to follow-through successfully, but nobody really believed him at this point; he had threatened before and NOT done it, and besides, he’d just won the Pulitzer; it seemed he had everything to live for; his bright, new future, and his beautiful four-year-old daughter. Not to mention the load of female groupies he had collected around the world after winning the Pulitzer.

Nonetheless, the other pressures were too great for him. A few days after announcing once again he was going to commit suicide, this time he did it. He was found in his beloved, old red pick-up truck, asphyxiated in the cab of his truck with a garden hose tied to the back of the tail pipe of his running car, which he had driven to a favorite, childhood park. Beside him was a bottle of alcohol and letters he had written to various friends and family. My fiancé and I found out about his death, while reading an Associated Press news story in the Sacramento Bee.

Aahh, the reader is saying about now. Finally a return to the designated subject for this story contest, however indirectly, through mention of the Sacramento Bee.

And it is a genuine return to that subject, though, perhaps alas, not immediate. You see, when I read about my friend’s death in my hometown newspaper, all it made me want to do was return at once to South Africa. But my fiancé and I were on assignment, and could not. So, we missed Carter’s funeral, and were very sad about that. When we returned to South Africa, finally, it was a changed place, in both good and bad ways. The good ways were obvious; Mandela had just been elected president, and apartheid was officially “over.” The bad ways were more subtle; the mainstream media decided that the “hot” African story was now elsewhere, and it largely, to a person, picked up their temporary bureau headquarters, including CBS, ABC, NBC, the New York Times and many, many others, and moved their southern African bureaus elsewhere.

But I, naïve, sucker that I am, wanted to stay on in South Africa. Yeah, the “big’ story was over, Mandela had been elected with a modicum of fuss and violence (which greatly disappointed a number of foreign journalists) but I still thought there were stories to be told and published. So I stayed on another three years, covering wars in Mozambique and Rwanda, interviewing five African “dictator’s” for a book project, and then finally deciding to leave my base in Jo-burg, when my fiancé urged us to move back to the States, where I would publish our book and he would start a new career as a fashion photographer.

This is part one in a two part series to be continued.....

$100,000 Reward- The Pricetag for Justice Part 2

2009-11-03T07:41:30Z

This is part two of the story about the homeless looking man that is offering a $100,000 reward to anyone who can disprove one fact and that fact is:

Charles Nordby turned Tom Raley’s company around when Raley's was going bankrupt in the early '70s. It was his expertise in the grocery business and his proven security program implemented at Raley's back in 1973 that made Raley’s the success they are today.

"There was so much external and internal theft taking place at Raley's back then, they simply could not have stay in business," Nordby said before passing away in 1996.

In 1973, Nordby traveled from Sonoma County to have a meeting with Pete Stathos, the president of the now defunct Vans Markets to discuss the idea of implementing Nordby's profit increasing program that he designed and was promoting in Northern California. This was the program that could save any struggling retailer from going out of business.

Stathos missed the meeting because he was on the golf course that day. Nordby decided to call another Sacramento retailer that he had heard was in financial trouble so he called the Raley's main office located at 1515 20th Street and asked to speak to the president. The man who answered the phone said "speaking." At the time it never occurred to Nordby that Tom Raley was so broke, Chuck Collings, the president of Raley's, is responsible for answering the phone that day.

Nordby briefly explained to Collings he had a proven profit increasing program that would give the Raley's company its highest profits ever. With nothing to lose, Collings invited Nordby to come to the old run down office on 20th Street to explain once again what he could do and how his program could help Raley's.

Once there, he sits down with Collings, Vice President Jim Teel (Joyce Raley Teel's husband) and advertising man Frank McMinn and explains to these three men exactly what his program is all about.

On that day, these three men were given a ray of hope that the company they headed up may not go out of business after all. But if Raley’s did go out of business, they had just met the perfect scapegoat to take the fall for Tom Raley's business failing.

It would appear at this point in his life, Tom Raley must have already accepted the fact that there was no hope for Raley's survival because he had two inexperienced men running his company. Plus Raley had taken himself out of the picture as far as the daily operation of the company was concerned.

Without Tom Raley's knowledge or his approval of the hiring of Nordby, they agree to let Nordby test his program in six of Raley's most unprofitable stores. At that time, nearly every one of Tom Raley's stores were unprofitable, but these six stores were the worst.

In the summer of 1973, when Nordby was given the go ahead to implement his program, Raley’s did not have the money to even start his program in these six stores. Nordby was forced to find a private investor in San Francisco to loan him the money so that he could finance his program at Raley’s.

Within the first quarter (3 months) of this new program, these six losing stores were turning such a high profit, Collings, Teel and McMinn decided right then that they had to have Nordby's program immediately put into place throughout the rest of the chain.

They also decided they wanted to hire Nordby as an employee rather than a consultant. After much consideration, Nordby agreed to work exclusively for Raley’s for a base pay and bonuses based on the success of his program which he knew would be incredible because he knew his program would not only save the company but give them tremendous profits of which his bonuses would be based on.

In order to retain Nordby’s services and their new found hope, Raley's operators agreed to the bonuses if his program continued to produce the same success they had already seen, they just had no idea just how successful it and they were all going to be.
Nordby believed Chuck Collings would keep his promise because he touted himself to be a man of God and that his word was his bond and Collings always invited Nordby to his Friday night Bible study, so Nordby assumed that he was a man of his word. Nordby also believed Jim Teel would keep his promise because he was Tom Raley's son in-law and he also believed Frank McMinn would keep his promise because he and Tom Raley were good friends. Not one of these men ever told Tom Raley about the outside consultant that they had hired. Nordby later discovered they never intended to keep their promises to him either, but rather used him to save Tom Raley's company from bankruptcy while they took the credit for Tom Raley's success.

They hired my father in 1973, the same year I became a senior at El Molino High School in Sonoma County. He was such an incredible father, he chose not to move the family to the Sacramento area until after my senior year and graduation. Because of the scope of the task before him to ensure the success of Raley's, he had to stay in Sacramento for most of my senior year and our family would only see him on occasional weekends when he had to just get away from the glaring problems of Raley's mismanagement that he had to deal with on a daily basis. I remember him telling me some of the stories of the things he encountered that were almost unbelievable, like the time he went into a Raley's store and saw nearly every employee, including the manager, stealing from the company. This was why Raley's was going out of business. Theft was rampant. It didn't take long for Nordby to figure out that everyone thought Raley's was going bankrupt so they all were getting their piece of the pie before it did.
Employees were stealing chain wide, bread vendors, soda vendors, beer vendors, meat companies, milk companies, egg companies and even one of Tom Raley's best friends were all stealing from him and he didn't even know it. One of the first things Nordby had to do was re-write and re-create new company policies that would close the loopholes to prevent anymore drains on the profits.

One of the most incredible aspects of this story is the fact that Tom Raley went to his grave in 1992 not ever knowing the man who saved his company, not knowing what had happened to create the turnaround in 1973 or how he even become a billionaire. That is absolutely mind boggling. Has this ever happened in history where a person had no clue whatsoever as to how they got rich?
And what makes this even that much more incredible is the fact that while Nordby was staying in Sacramento, he was given a free room at the Marina Inn located on the banks of the Sacramento River. The Marina Inn was another losing business venture of Tom Raley and they both lived there during the same time period of July of 1973 through June of 1974. Even though Tom Raley may have seen Nordby come and go during that time period, he didn't even know who Charles Nordby was and what was his business in Sacramento.

Coming next in part 3 of this series,.....

The year is 1974, The money is poring in. It is party time for Raley's.

It's bonus time! But Raley's Success by deception kicks into first gear!

Operation Sellout: How the Sky Box Trumps the Lunch Box

2009-11-01T06:41:22Z

From the lofty perches of the power players, in their skyboxes and bank towers, the public may look very small, almost antlike. Deal and decision makers are elevated and segregated from the little people, whose lives they influence.

On Thursday, October 29, Mayor Kevin Johnson announced his "Rules of the Game" plan to build an arena and entertainment complex in Sacramento. The press conference was held 25 floors up, with a hazy overview of the city, extending from the historic rail yards to Cal Expo: two potential sites for a new and lucrative sports/real estate venture.

In that same sweeping view, the mayor could look down on the central city neighborhoods. From Downtown, Midtown, East Sac, all the way east to River Park and southward to College Glen, Tahoe Park and back around to Oak Park -- all of these neighborhoods are being intentionally and systematically deprived of a comprehensive, traditional, public high school.

This mayor has claimed to want to be an education mayor for Sacramento, even though public education is outside the duties and jurisdiction of the mayor.

So why? Why is a task force and "Rules of the Game" for placing a sports complex in the central city, more of a priority for this mayor than providing a comprehensive, public high school for the majority -- and historic center -- of the city's neighborhoods and families?

Would it help the mayor to see the big picture from up there, if there was a Sacramento High School Tent City, laid out in Fremont Park, Boulevard Park, McKinley Park and Bertha Henschel, Glen Hall Park and East Portal, Tahoe and McClatchy Parks?

A visit from Oprah's cameras might help draw his attention to the estimated 10,000 Central City students that have been displaced, abandoned and disappeared, since the closure of the real Sacramento High School in 2003. The disenfranchised are the rightful public school students and families of the Second Oldest High School West of the Mississippi.

How can it be so easy to overlook the reality that this student body, all these historic, central neighborhoods, do not have a comprehensive, traditional, public high school for their children to go to?

It helps if the local newspaper is complicit in crafting the story of how the public school was closed and reopened as a charter, in a continuous campaign of disinformation and incomplete reporting. Another puffy editorial was printed on Sunday, October 25 stating "On the scale of turnaround options, closing a school and reopening it as a charter is the most dramatic. It also is the most risky. But, as the Sacramento High experience has shown, it can bring big dividends for students in poorer neighborhoods, who too often are left behind."

Wait a minute. Who is being "left behind" here? 6 years later, -- after huge community outcry and advocacy, after a lawsuit and a consent decree of the court, ordering that the Sacramento City Unified School District provide a replacement -- half of the city of Sacramento's students still don't have their high school.

As the editorial said:

"Closing a school and turning it over to a nonprofit to run as a public charter school is not for the faint of heart" -- especially when it is done prematurely and illegally, as happened to Sacramento High School.

"It requires a strong school board willing to back an inevitably controversial decision" -- and complicit in the back room deals, dirty deeds, misuse of Federal funds and betrayal of the community will, all of which got that "strong" school board voted out of office.

"It requires a charter organization willing to withstand withering criticism in its sensitive startup years by those tethered to the status quo" -- the "status quo" being pesky, boring stuff like: the will of the parents, voters and taxpayers (who were forced to become litigants and WON), the history, traditions and needs of the whole community and -- oh yeah -- the law.

The editorial quotes, Tom Loveless, director of the Center on American Education at the Brookings Institution, who told The Bee when Sac High was closed, "It has never happened before where a large, existing high school closed in June and opened in September as a charter." The editor fails to mention that it will never happen here again. After the illegal handover of Sacramento's historic high school to Kevin Johnson, the resulting lawsuit led to a consent decree requiring a one year period in between.

This most recent in a series of misleading and enabling editorials continues. "Enrollment has stabilized at 1,000 students in the last two years and the school slowly seems to be getting beyond the intense conflict surrounding its founding. This is a school that could be even more successful if it had something more than a dismissive brush-off from influential parts of the community."

This is a school that is propped up with powerful media complicity and fudged statistics, packaged with the illegitimate use of the trappings of the historic public school: the mascot, the colors, team name, school name and the school nick name (which the SCUSD has unsuccessfully ordered St. HOPE to quit using). This sporty, peppy, purple and white sham of "Sac High," continues despite repeated public protests to the newspaper and the school board.

The sham, however, provided Kevin Johnson his springboard to the 25th floor press conference vantage and the Mayor's seat.

St. Hope operates "Sacramento Charter High School." It is not "Sacramento High School" or "Sac High." The only time the Sacramento Bee has consistently used the correct terms, were in the few unavoidable investigative articles, when alleged malfeasance by Kevin Johnson was too serious to gloss over. Then, the Bee referred to all the various other official entities of Johnson's St. Hope franchise and avoided any mention of him or of "Sac High."

"Getting beyond the intense conflict surrounding (St. HOPE's) founding," while pretending that central Sacramento should not have a comprehensive, public high school, is impossible. This fuzzy media blanket masking the truth and muzzling the public interest made Johnson's mayoral win possible.

This is a school that was paid for by the taxpayers, supported by the whole community for 147 years and valued for its diverse community-building aspect. This is a school that Sacramentans previously voted to approve bond funds, for renovations intended to serve the whole community, that ended up providing Johnson's boutique charter a $27 million renovation. This is a campus that belongs to the whole community, which is owed a consent decree high school after parents sued over the St. HOPE takeover.

This is a school that cannot justify its presence on the community's historic, upgraded, public high school campus without fudging the statistics, without cherry picking its student body, without the enabling of the local media and without excluding thousands of SCUSD students every year (including student families in Oak Park, who prefer a comprehensive, traditional public school to the St. HOPE charter). This is a school that owes the SCUSD $1,000,000 because it can't pay its bills.

So, who is really getting the "dismissive brush-off from influential parts of the community"? The highly insular, media fortified, privatized outpost of St. HOPE, squatting on the Sac High campus and the mayor with his lofty sky box view?

Or is it that vast, diverse Tent City of displaced high school students, spread out as far as the eye can see, spelling out the words, "Where's my High School"?

The bank tower skybox elites care about the bottom line. They are not accountable to -- or even aware of -- the community experience on the ground level.

It is up to the community to make sure that this mayor is not so blinded by the haze of powerful influence and the sport of politics, that he overlooks his duty to the the families and future of Sacramento.

Homeless Looking Man offers a $100,000 Reward

2009-11-01T05:11:32Z

There are two things about the man in the picture that you would not believe unless I revealed them to you in this article. First of all, the man in the picture is not homeless. He is my brother Frank Nordby who has attended a couple of the Sacramento Press' workshops with me. It is hard to imagine just by looking at his appearance that this man is not only training to qualify for the Boston Marathon but he is also offering a $100,000 reward in his race for justice.

Frank has been running as long as I can remember. In fact I remember him running after me as a child whenever I would pull some 'little brother" gag on him. Frank was able to palm a basketball in high school and was actually very good at shooting hoops as well as all the other sports he was involved in. Out of the nine children in our family Frank was the most athletic of us all.

Over the years he learned that running was very therapeutic for him and he always makes sure that he gets his daily dose of therapy in the many miles he runs every day. He is in good health and with his long hair and beard he has been called "Forrest Gump" on many occasions by passerby’s who catch him on his trek through the highways and byways of Northern CA and the Sacramento area.

Franks endurance has also helped him in his eighteen year chase and quest for justice in one of the biggest crimes in Sacramento's history. Since the advent of the internet, more and more people have heard about this crime because there are currently two websites that publicly reveal it. It’s a crime that involves those who are part of the who's who in business, judges in the courts, in the news media and in the religious community. This article will begin the unveiling of people who have somehow and someway become involved in this crime, generally through the subtle influence of money that has snagged them in this incredible web of deception that has killed their credibility.

I have decided it is time for Sacramento to begin reading a story that has probably been the most media suppressed story of all time. There is a term that rightly defines what have been the actions of the news media and it is called a “conspiracy of silence.” Which is defined by Merriam-Webster as:
a secret agreement to keep silent about an occurrence, situation, or subject
especially in order to promote or protect selfish interests
This is not to be confused with a conspiracy theory whereby people are made out to be crazy without sufficient proof or evidence to their claims. On the contrary, this story is backed by historical accounts, court documents, tax records, divorce records, the written word as well as the spoken word. Two of the most persuasive elements to this story are the preponderance of the evidence and the silence that has permeated from within those who know the story is true.

Now with The Sacramento Press, this conspiracy of silence will be broken and the story will be told against the will of the wealthiest family in town. This story will create a stir because it shakes the powers that be and will be contrary to everything most people have been told by the news media for the last thirty-six years.

This story may never get the attention that it should get and rightfully deserves. Locally, all the news reporting companies have gone to great lengths to help cover up this crime and why shouldn't they? Isn't it only a crime against one man? No! This crime is also against the public who put their trust in the news media to tell the truth at any cost. Who expect unbiased reporting of the news that neither censors nor silences. This is one story where the news media has actually become a major part of the story. We hope that the Sacramento Bee does not have any influence on the Sacramento Press concerning this story.

Because this story has been in the making for thirty-six years, it is impossible to write one article about all of the people, places and events that went into making this an incredible story. It would be too lengthy as one article for the Sacramento Press, so I must divide it up into two or three easily read portions.

Many of the high profile news stories and the day-by-day courtroom proceedings in the last twenty five years have been influenced by money and fame and the power that follows them. This story is no different except for the fact that the people that this story is about are also major advertisers in the newspapers and magazines and on the television and radio. This is why none of the news media in Sacramento can afford to tell you this true story, and when you read the following email from a local reporter in the Sacramento area, you will understand why you are reading this story in this venue instead of the front page of the Sacramento Bee or making the headlines on the evening news.

“Hello Mr. Nordby,
No, I have never heard this story - what a horrid story it is. However, very sadly, I am not surprised. There are people who will do absolutely anything to gain wealth, and/or hang on to wealth (power). Crushing another person seems to be nothing but collateral damage for them.
I am interested in your story. My columns are not just rhetoric - I write what I believe. As you have already discovered, the threat of Raley's financial resources is huge. While I cannot and will not jeopardize (her company), I am interested in finding the proper venue for your story.
That could take some time and research. It is a compelling story but as I previously said, most people in Sacramento have too much to lose given the size, scope and far-reaching tentacles of the Raley's family. I still think it needs to be a book and not done by a newspaper - a newspaper would and/or could lose all of their advertisers. A newspaper …..could be shut down in one day by Raley's.”
Katy G.

If you have never seen the movie "Flash of Genius", we highly recommend that you do. This is the movie about the man who invented the intermittent windshield wiper for the automobile. His idea was stolen by the Ford Motor Company and then he had to spend more than 12 years of his life to convince people and a jury that he was the inventor of this incredible idea.
Flash of Genius is similar to the Charles Nordby Story!
The difference is, Charles Nordby ended up dying trying to convince everyone that he was the man that saved Tom Raley's company from bankruptcy in 1973. Raley's had the big attorney's and everyone they needed in their pockets to make sure that he did not get his day in court, nor that his story ever got any news media attention.

Now that you know that this is a story about Raley’s, Joyce Raley Teel and the news media, I am sure you are beginning to put the pieces together and will want to know why Frank Nordby is hungry for justice and more about the $100,000 he is offering as a reward to anyone who can disprove the story he is seeking justice for. Part two of this story will be made available shortly on the Sacramento Press.

"Those with little or no money cannot afford justice,
and those with money can avoid justice."
Jack Nordby

A midtown halloween

2009-10-31T23:46:46Z

Aja Uranga prepares for milk to be poured on her head

by magician Howdy Do Dat at Relles Florist. Lots of young and old trick or treaters were

roaming through midtown Sacramento today. Also at Relles Florist there was face

painting, pumpkin art, plus dogs and owners preparing for a parade that ended on L Street.

Prizes were awarded at the end of the parade route.

Here are some scenes:

This dapper fellow was ready to march in the doggy parade sponsored by the City Animal Care Services.

A costumed youngster does some pumpkin art at Relles.

These little ones wait patiently in line.

Lots of folks trick or treated along J St.

This evil Jester heads into First United Methodist where candy was being given away and money collected for UNICEF 2009.

This little ballerina does a backpack adjustment on the run.

Candice Anderson's dog Demi won first place for best dressed big dog.

Dressed as a bumble bee, Coco, Elvia Leyva's pug, won the prize for best dressed small dog.

Bridget, a three-year-old pit bull mix, weighs about 40 pounds, loves people and tennis balls. She is hoping to be adopted soon.

For further information, call the City of Sacramento Animal Care Services at 916-808-7387.

Photos | Kati Garner

Mayor Johnson: Operation Sellout on track‏

2009-10-31T15:19:30Z

The Sacramento Kings campaign, Operation Sellout, sold out the first home game, Nov. 2 against the Memphis Grizzlies.

That means the Kings, last in NBA attendance, sold 17,317 tickets for a team that sold out only three games last season.

ESPN reported that the Kings averaged 12,571 fans per game, leaving 4,746 seats empty.

Mayor Kevin Johnson, an outspoken advocate for keeping the Kings in Sacramento, is involved with the campaign.

“I went to Gavin and Joe Maloof and asked them how I can be helpful,” Johnson said. “They said the best thing that would help them right now would be to help them sell out the first two home games, get the fans energized, and rekindle some of the energy and enthusiasm that they used to have.”

The campaign is meant to bring back the once raucous crowds to ARCO Arena despite a team that's coming off its worst season and the franchise record low: 17 wins, 65 losses.

Many players say that fan support is key to their success. Kevin Martin is one of three holdovers from the sellout era that ended in 2007. He had fond memories of ARCO Arena then.

“You know, it’s easy to play with 17,000 fans in ARCO,” Martin said. “The fans around here are still great."

This season, there are six new Kings and a new coaching staff, led by head coach Paul Westphal. Three of the new players, Tyreke Evans, Desmond Mason and Sean May, were in the starting lineup for the first two games of the season.

Geoff Petrie, president of basketball operations, said this is a different team.

“We have a totally different group in a lot of respects,” Petrie said. “We have some younger players from last year that’ll probably get a chance to play. (We have) a new coaching staff, guys like Paul Westphal. So the whole dynamic is different.”

There's one game remaining for Operation Sellout. The goal is no empty seats for the Nov. 4 game against the Atlanta Hawks, featuring former King Mike Bibby.

The Kings will deliver, promised rookie guard Evans.

“They can expect a lot of hustle,” he said. “A lot of heart, a lot of passion, (the will) to win. When I go out there I’m going to leave it on the floor.”

A night in the life of a 911 dispatcher

2009-10-31T05:38:22Z

Kate Traci
10/09

The screams came through my headset as I punched on the line.

I winced as my eardrum was pummeled by the pandemonium on the other end of the line. I had to get busy. No time to reach over to my radio console and turn down the headset volume.

I needed both hands typing fast.

The room was quiet. Call volume is low at 3:30 in the morning. Most in the greater Sacramento area are snug in their beds. My coworkers could hear the echos of the yells as they reverberated out of my ear piece.

"Fire dispatch, what is the address of the emergency?" I answered the phone with our standardized question and my voice steadily rose as I tried to be heard over the caller. I could feel my blood pressure rise and my heart start to beat faster, the elevated emotion of the caller transmitting itself to me. For a ten year veteran dispatcher it was a rare reaction.

The Sacramento Regional Fire/EMS Communications Center covers approximately 800 square miles, eight different fire districts and handles approximately 170,000 calls each year with a total staff of 21 dispatchers.

Though approved for 30, the staffing level rarely seems to fluctuate as the steady influx of trainees equals the constant turnover, training itself causing the most to leave. It is a lengthy process, taking at least one year for a new recruit to become fully trained or signed off. If successful at that point they will function unsupervised as a full-fledged dispatcher proficient on phones and radio duties.

"This is the fire department, what is the emergency?" My tone grew stern, repeating myself a few times to gain the attention of the caller so I could start help. Protocol requires us to do all we can to verify the address before we dispatch units so the first few seconds of a call are the most crucial.

Not getting any information out of the hysterical caller I switch tactics. I was given the caller's name by the transferring agency and I used that repeatedly to calm her down.

"Shawna, talk to me," I said. "I want to help you. Where do we need to go?" Finally I got through.

Fire Department dispatchers work 12-hour shifts. They arrive approximately 10-15 minutes prior to the start of shift at 6:45 a.m. or 6:45 p.m.

After receiving a pass on all relevant information of the daily or nightly events one dispatcher plugs in and the other heads home. Day shift gets the brunt of the calls. More people are up and awake getting hurt or getting sick. The onslaught of call after call can be brutal.

Though I had the seniority to stay on day shift, I had escaped to graveyard a few years ago to gain a measure of peace. But it comes with a grueling cost of having to stay up and alert throughout the night. I admit being alert was a goal not often achieved.

No longer tired, I finally ascertain from Shawna what had occurred. Her friend had accidentally set himself on fire trying to fill his butane lighter. He was badly burned. I talked her through instructions on what to do for him until the help arrived.

It was not much unfortunately, but I had to believe it helped. They got him into the shower, the only place to easily cool that much burned skin.

"Shawna, Shawna, focus!" I yelled. "Listen to me. The help is on the way! Do you understand? Now let's help him in the meantime." I cajole and persuade her. Every time she looked at her burned friend she lost her composure again.

In dispatch terms this is called a re-freak event. We are taught to recognize when this might happen. We are hopeful to control the caller and avoid this, but if not we will bring them back to earth when it does.

Statistically only 4 percent of all callers are technically considered hysterical. † At times it seems much more. 911 callers run the gamut from eerily calm, understandably nervous, belligerently angry and finally hysterical. Most often the dispatcher has the power to reinforce or change that caller’s emotion in either the positive or negative direction.

Some 911 centers require their dispatchers to become EMD certified, a 36-hour course in emergency medical dispatching certifies the student to give bystander CPR and choking instructions, deliver babies, advice on seizures, bleeding, problems breathing and other injuries. The communications center in Sacramento is one such center and dispatchers are required to keep this certification current with annual CPR instruction and continuing education training. The rest is often left to common sense.

As dispatchers, we only deal with people during what is most likely the worst time of their lives. In that short two to five minutes we can impact their lives greatly. Yet to us it is just one of many calls we will take throughout our shift. We often do not hear any outcome to these emergencies. Once the fire department arrives and often long before we have disconnected that phone call and moved on to another one of our duties. Rarely do we seek out any follow up information, but occasionally we do.

I stayed on the phone with Shawna until the ambulance arrived on scene. They wasted no time. Five minutes later - what we call a load and go - they were back on the road, code three or lights and sirens headed to UC Davis hospital.

The paramedics told us later the patient, a male in his 30s, was attempting to fill his lighter so he could get high. Three small children were awake watching TV in the room.

The fire department helps everyone.

† Principles of Emergency Medical Dispatch 4th Edition. pg 1.12
by Clauson, Dernocoer,Rose c2008 v12.0

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and are not endorsed by and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion or policy of the Sacramento Regional Fire/EMS Communications Center.

Compromise media shield law seems likely

2009-10-31T02:25:03Z

According to the Associated Press, agreement has been reached between senate, white house, and press representatives on a new version of a media shield law "to protect reporters from being forced to disclose their confidential sources in federal court."

In brief, it would allow the government to seek a source's identity in instances of security leaks with national security implications, the burden would be on the journalist to justify non-disclosure of source identity in criminal cases, and the burden would be on the state to justify disclosure in non-criminal cases.

Of interest to Sacramento Press readers and writers, "The revised bill would also extend protections for freelance or citizen journalists by defining a journalist by the nature of activity engaged in rather than by the organization that employs the reporter."

Full story: Yahoo News

An Interview with My Hero

2009-10-31T00:03:35Z

Not really a big fan of football (what’s a touchdown?), it may seem odd to some that I was so excited to find out a famous football hero was coming to town. Most of us have seen the awe-inspiring movie, “Rudy,” about a small fry guy who wants to play ball for Notre Dame.

Because of the young man’s dogged determination, drive and passion, he does end up realizing his dream and playing football for the “Fighting Irish.” Ever since that movie, in my mind, Rudy Ruettiger has been my personal icon for perseverance.

Needless to say, when I found out the “real” Rudy would be coming to town for a speaking engagement, I knew I had to interview him. Rudy agreed to be a guest on my radio show, “Sacramento Smiles,” which is focused on positive education for Sacramento residents.

In speaking with Rudy, during, and a couple times prior to the show, I can say this about him: he is not pretentious. He is also not especially quick in his responses, but his words and wisdom flow with an appealing and selfless sincerity.

By his own admission, Rudy doesn’t like to talk about football. While he treasures his famous 27 seconds on the field, his passion is more focused on making a difference in the lives of others, and he does that by sharing his story.

As with any dream, Rudy acknowledges there are steps and processes that must be in place. His example was that he didn’t just start out playing ball at Notre Dame, but instead, had to start by getting good grades, getting accepted into the college, trying out for the team, etc. He also talked about the importance of good mentors. In the movie and in life, one of his mentors was the janitor who helped Rudy realized the value of his accomplishments.

Subsequent to his days at Notre Dame, Rudy had another big dream that required his same famous tenacity: to have his story turned into a movie. This was no easy feat, and in fact, took ten years of effort before the movie was accepted in Hollywood. While Rudy inspired and pursued the movie, he did not write it himself.

So far, we’ve noted two huge dreams which are quite literally beyond the scope of comprehension for most people: playing ball for a famous football team and having Hollywood buy a movie inspired by your life.

Rudy is humble about his successes, yet he recognize and talk about them as they are indeed the fodder for his ability to reach and teach others. And that’s what he’s been doing these past couple decades.

Traveling the country, talking to people from all walks of life; discussing dreams, faith, patience and processes, and even the power of prayer and meditation, Rudy takes pleasure in working with adults, kids, teams, parents and coaches. He enjoys sharing his hard-won wisdom in the hope that he can help others try a little harder, go a little further, be a little more.

Rudy will be speaking in Roseville on November 6th. There is no charge to attend. The event is the brainchild of Jim Bellacera, founder of Successful Thinkers, of which Rudy is a big fan. Rudy acknowledges that surrounding oneself with other like-minded individuals is essential to success, and he is therefore enthusiastic about sharing his inspiring story with Sacramento residents who are interested in hearing it.

To register for the event, visit: www.SuccessfulThinkers.com

Sources:

Successful Thinkers website. (http://www.successfulthinkers.com) retrieved 10-25-09.

Rudy Ruettiger website (http://www.speakersbureau.com/speakers/ruettiger/bio.htm) retrieved 10-25-09.

Personal telephone/radio interview with Rudy Ruettiger. October 28, 2009.

Personal telephone interview with Jim Bellacera, founder of Successful Thinkers. September 18, 2009.

I Found My Thrill

2009-10-31T00:00:07Z

With Halloween almost behind us, now is the time to head up to the Hill. Apple Hill, that is.

Sure, the Sacramento crowds are at an all-time high when families head up Highway 50 to pick out the best pumpkin, and as a result, parking is a challenge, lines are long and traffic is thick.

While November still brings good crowds (let’s not forget pumpkin pie), the air and the apples are crisper and the parking not as tricky as it is right before Halloween-time.

Cinnamon tends to scent the air among many of the stops, making you crave the yummy baked goods that are at virtually every stop. There is every kind of apple one might imagine, and plenty of other things to eat and drink.

Having four children, I don’t think there was ever a fall, in at least ten years, when we skipped the familiar trip to Apple Hill.

“Dad” and I would feast on fudge from High Hill, while the kids found apple fritters and caramel covered apples the treat of the day.

We tasted apple wine (yum!) and shopped the many craft stands. In fact, I’ve always gotten a lot of Christmas shopping done in them there hills! As a collector of all things rustic, I’ve purchased amazing metal work, handmade candles and candle-holders, and plenty of holiday ornaments.

The ride up 50 in the fall is fine, especially on a clear and crisp day. The air is fresh and the pine trees welcoming. Just a hop and a skip away, and you are transported to a country-living menagerie of apple orchards, open-barns, pumpkin bins, baked goods, and a myriad of music and crafts.

According to the Apple Hill Growers Association, it was once a “fledgling association comprised of 16 original ranches. Today it boasts more than 50 ranches including Christmas tree growers, wineries, a micro-brewery, spa and vineyards.”

While there are some great little “apple maps” you can pick up at just about any stop, here a few of the ones we’ve found most notable over the years, for all-around family fun:

High Hill Ranch. This was always the kids’ favorite. It features a large trout pond that guarantees a catch, indoor and outdoor shopping for crafts that range from the home-made to the high-art, a candy shop, wine tasting, baked goods and a whole lot of food and fun. This is a great choice for picnics and shopping sprees!

Boa Vista Orchards. This is the one we usually pick for a paid lunch. Their walk-up window diner and inside-bakery are tough to beat. Something about eating a tri-tip sandwich while shopping the outdoor display of all that fresh produce just works for me! There’s often vendors showing off their crafts, and a gourmet food shop inside the big barn. I get everything from fancy mustards to apple juice and wasabi peas at that place. Plus, they have killer apple fritters!

Jack Russell Farm Brewery Okay, so it’s not an apple ranch, but hey, parents gotta have fun too! Actually the Jack Russell Brewery features craft vendors, food sampling and a picnic area. Oh, of course they have some great beer, too! It seems like every time we visit, someone has a Jack Russell on the grounds, which makes it even more fun.

All in all, Apple Hill has too many ranches to name (50!), so you’ll have to explore them all for yourself. Don’t forget that there is wine tasting, Christmas tree farms, pumpkin patches and ranches that cater to younger kids. The landscape is picturesque and the ranch owners ever-so-eager to have you sample their wares.

Sources:
 Apple Hill Growers Association (http://www.applehill.com/ ) retrieved 10-24-09.

Placer Info (http://www.placerville.info/Apple_Hill) retrieved 10-24-09

Sacramento Rage

2009-10-30T23:55:09Z

Having lived in Sacramento for nearly 40 years, it’s not like I’ve never read about or seen news coverage on crimes in our town. However, it seems that recent years are introducing a new level of crime that arises from rage.

The recent Sac State slaying, where Scott Hawkins was allegedly beaten to death (possibly with a baseball bat) by his own roommate, Quran Jones, speaks volumes. The boys shared a dorm room, went to college and seemed to get along fine. The victim, Hawkins, is reported to have been slightly autistic. The other roommates said that they were completely shocked by the ordeal. In a photograph, the alleged killer, Jones, looks like a clean-cut, serious student. What caused Jones to explode in such an unexplainable fit of rage to where he beat a less-able boy to his untimely death?

Last week, down the street from where I live, on the 5300 block of Marconi, a woman, Regina Leigh Grant, age 47, and her son Gerardo Verde, age 23, allegedly stabbed a neighbor to death. Can neighborly disagreements so easily escalate that someone pulls out a knife and stabs someone to death?

This month, Tyrone Adam Palmer was convicted of second-degree murder for running a car off the road that had three teenage girls in it on Winding Way and Barrett. One of the girls was killed, one still remains comatose (after two years), and the other escaped with two broken legs. Apparently, Palmer was disturbed when the girls, upon leaving a party, threw an egg at his car.

Palmer reportedly jumped in his vehicle and chased the girls down, eventually running them off the road into a telephone pole. My own daughter was supposed to go to the same party the girls had just left from. Who would think that a silly, mischievous prank (egging a car), would result in such a degree of rage that three young lives would be so dreadfully affected?

Rage knows no region. There is no household, office building or neighborhood that is safe from its reach. What can we do to curtail the impact?

According to Andrea Lambert, Sacramento-based Licensed Marriage, Family and Child Therapist, “There is not enough information available on how to express and release anger responsibly … we have a way to express sadness by crying … to express fear by trembling and shaking … to express love by a kiss, a hug, a tap on the shoulder. We have not been taught or shown how to express anger in healthy, responsible ways which is a feeling just like the others.” Lambert goes on to say, “So when anger is not being expressed, it builds and builds into rage and to be released so it doesn’t harm the body, it is expressed by violence.”

Lambert, who has worked with clients of all ages and all walks of life, acknowledges that there are healthy ways to express anger and states that there are various forms of therapy which are highly effective in supporting people to release their rage that might result in violent behavior.

It seems that Sacramento would benefit with a reduction in rage through education and awareness of this rapidly growing problem.

Sources:

KCRA News
(http://www.KCRA.com/news/21408837/detail.htm retrieved 10-26-09)

(http://www.SacBee.com/static/weblogs/crime/archives/2009/10 retrieved 10-25-09)

(http://www.SacBee.com/static/weblogs/crime/archives/2009/10 retrieved 10-25-09)

Personal Interview, Lambert, Andrea, LFMCC, Oct. 24, 2009.

Personal Interview, Marsha Smalley, Sacramento State University professor, Oct. 20, 2009.

Hello NEW mural

2009-10-30T03:48:35Z

One month ago it looked like bye bye mural.

Today, it was hello new one.

Stephanie Taylor, the artist who created the mural, said at the time the old mural came down:

"It is finally being replaced by the vendor, Metromedia Technologies. They printed the original

mural in 1996. It lasted many more years than we expected, but finally started to fail in 2007.

The Downtown Partnership and the City paid to have it reprinted- it's digital."

Today the mural was reinstalled.

Mike and Karen Winn, Winn Associates, have their office in the Elks Building, 7th floor. Their

view of the mural is perfect and they watched the day-long reinstallation.

And they also watched the preparation.

It took the workers one week to wash and completely remove the old mural with steam.

And they spent a day whitewashing the stucco, creating a surface it to which it would

adhere.

Today was like watching someone install wallpaper, they said.

The mural was installed in sections, top to bottom, just like wallpapering.

Using a squeegee, the sections were smoothed out painstakingly.

A gold plaque under the mural reads:

Sunday Morning in the Mines, 1872

see original painting at the Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento

Photos | Kati Garner

Photos were shot from Suite 700 in the Elks Building

Sacramento Press: Enabling the Community to Offer Food for Thought

2009-10-29T23:27:19Z

Give a man a fish, and he can eat for a day; teach him how to fish, and he can eat for a lifetime. Words to live by and appearing to be the motto of Sacramento Press..

Recently I read the article "Is the Sacramento Press Fostering Civil Debate -- Or Encouraging Hate Speech?", written by Steven Maviglio.. Maviglio writes, "There's some good back-and-forth, and we agree to disagree without name-calling or insults or questions about our motivation. It's free speech -- the kind of debate that is good for this website and good for our city."

I agree. The "back-and-forth" without insults or questions about our motivation is good. It is dialogue -- if we plan to only eat for a day, but many of us plan to eat for a lifetime. So our comments can go beyond simply agreeing to disagree and become passionate food for thought.

Maviglio also writes, "There are some who typically hide behind screen names, that think name-calling and obscenities are effective ways to make their point."

I'm no stranger to personal attacks by someone hiding behind a screen name. I know people can become frustrated when someone deliberately insults or underestimates their intelligence.

Having read many of Maviglio's comments I can understand the frustration community members can feel toward his attempts to sway public opinion. But two wrongs don't make a right.

I learned from Maviglio's article that I too should tone down my responses and try not to offend others even when I am offended. But I don't dwell in hate and nor do I see the comments of others posting on Sacramento Press toward Maviglio being written in hate.

I know I've become frustrated with him on more than one occasion. I've learned Maviglio is a professional campaign manager whose comments I've read, on Sacramento Press and other sites, appear to have a tendency to stretch the truth to get a desired effect. However, I can't put much weight on the argument in his article since I haven't read any obscenities.

I enjoy reading the Sacramento Press because I feel it can disarm hate by giving the people a voice.

Recently I read an article by Mayor Kevin Johnson, "It's all about accountability," in which Johnson writes, "I love accountability ... and I find it curious when elected officials and the media decide the moment has arrived to wrap their arms around the fundamentals of accountability for the time being. They demand accountability for everyone but themselves. They choose which rules they follow .... Let's talk about accountability. It's a subject I understand ... I demand accountability for myself, my staff and every employee in the city of Sacramento."

Surely we can see how community members can be frustrated when many feel the mayor hasn't been held accountable with mismanagement of St. Hope, with allegations of a relationship with minors, with the $25,000 loan to SAG which was forgiven and became a gift in the midst of controversy and other concerns.

Whether the allegations are true or not I do not know but I do believe where there is smoke there is fire.

I do know community members are frustrated by a mayor who doesn't appear to be accountable for his own actions or the actions of those he hires to protect and serve him. And people need an avenue to vent, they need to let their voices be heard to disarm hate.

I find it curious when our mayor, for the time being, has found the moment to wrap his arms around the fundamentals of accountability.

Does our mayor really demand accountability for his staff? Is his staff solely accountable only to him or can they be held accountable to the public? The mayor is a public servant so it would seem anyone employed or assigned a volunteer position by him should also be held accountable to the public and would face strong criticism by the public when it appears they are not truthful.

Both Johnson's article on accountability and his campaign manager Steve Maviglio's article on civil debate appear to be attempts to also sway public opinion and both articles can foster hate. I value the Sacramento Press for giving the community a chance to create a much needed balance and disarm political manipulation.

We could argue whether Johnson is fostering civil debate or hate speech with his article, in which he claims he is asking the city council for accountability.

Johnson -- a mayor who has failed to be transparent in other avenues -- calls out council members in a public forum on his blog rather than working directly with them to overcome this issue.

Johnson, who will meet in secrecy, without the public and without council members, to develop the SMP and who did not have the courage to hold community meetings prior to the Strong Mayor Proposal being written in stone, wrote, "... but they have no courage. And while I won't speculate as to their motives, their lack of courage and need for secrecy erases any legitimacy of their act."

Johnson, who took a "situation" and asked the City Manager to investigate how privileged city documents were being leaked to the media, writes, "Accountability is not situational. It can't be used for political convenience. You are either accountable, or you are not."

Without a public outlet the mayor's article can cause a great deal of frustration.

When you only have two minutes to address the mayor during council sessions and a mayor who has given you so much to complain about and will not acknowledge your complaints, you can begin to comment in an angry tone. Between Johnson's political swagger and his campaign manager's more than 125 comments on Sacramento Press and many other comments on other news sites regarding articles on the mayor, people can be frustrated with all the propaganda put before us.

We can agree to disagree to comments by community members, but when Mr. Maviglio appears to manipulate the comment site it becomes concerning.

I confronted the mayor at a city session and the man who claims to demand accountability for himself and staff, would not be accountable. Did he apologize? No. We know he's capable of offering an apology. He's apologized to Nestlé. The mayor's apologies as well as accountability appear to be situational.

When you have a mayor who appears to transform city hall into a castle and the city of Sacramento into his kingdom you have to expect public outcry.. When you have a mayor who appears to disregard the voice of the people raising concerns, questions and disapproval of his behavior and you have media outlets who will also disregard the voice of the people -- the people can become angry.

When you have a mayor who appears to create a moat around the castle (city hall) making it too deep for the public to simply wade through with special assistants, campaign managers, volunteers to defend him against the public the people can become angry. When you have a mayor who appears to begin warfare against his colleagues, the council members we voted into office, the anger can cause some not-so-kind remarks. But it is anger and disappointment and not hate speech.

Has Johnson ever apologized for the negative comments by those under his advisement toward the city attorney, opponents of SMP or attacks on council members? No. I stood in front of the mayor at a council session and was later laughed at. Did he apologize? No.

He laughed and with the assistance of an assistant, he mocked me. Does the mayor address the concerns of the general public when they are given two minutes to speak? No. He simply looks at their name on the speaker request form and says "thank you."

Johnson does not appear to foster civil debate and his deliberate attempt of dismissing the public concerns can foster anger, animosity, division and yes, sometimes hate.

It doesn't appear to be the Sacramento Press who is fostering hate. It appears to be the actions of our mayor and his campaign manager and the fact he is not accountable for his actions or the actions of his assistants which can and has frustrated a community and at times caused hate speech.

Fostering hate goes beyond comments some may write on a Sacramento Press site. In fact the site offers an opportunity for people, like myself, to air out our differences, concerns, complaints in a constructive forum. Sacramento Press offers an opportunity for us to have a voice and build a constructive bridge of dialogue.

The media is a powerful tool and a tool which it appears politicians, including our mayor, have found a way to manipulate. But on Sacramento Press (as well as SN&R) writers balance out the bull with the truth and the community responds.

On Sacramento Press, the community is given a forum to write and balance out all the political propaganda we're reading and seeing from press releases and actions constructed by political hired help to sway public opinion. I've seen this deception cause a great deal of anger. But I have not seen the tone of anger on Sacramento Press that I have seen on another site and I believe it is due to the fact the community has an input and direct ongoing dialogue with the writers.

I don't see Sacramento Press as fostering hate. I see it as a tool to remain in the spirit of love and overcome hate by giving a voice to everyone.

The mayor, in an effort to make himself look good by making the council look bad, writes "How did a majority of the city council respond? With disdain, ridicule and ambivalence ..." It seems disdain, ridicule and ambivalence goes beyond Sacramento Press commenters. It appears the common denominator to fostering hate speech, disdain, ridicule and ambivalence is Johnson and the fact that he is not so transparent and neither are his special assistants and campaign manager.

I've read hateful comments on Sacramento Bee where people wrote "get ready, your young butt will be raped in prison, hope you're found hung."

I've read truly disturbing hateful racial attacks on youth, hateful comments regarding low income community members when articles are written during budget times. I've read hate-filled comments from both some within the community toward law enforcement and some within law enforcement toward community members.

What I am reading on Sacramento Press is far from hate. Even the comments personally directed at me by one person, in my opinion, aren't hateful. They have grown to be annoying but I've learned now to dismiss it. We don't have to all like one another and that is what gives the debate substance. I learn from those who appear not to like me and I welcome the sometimes not-so-kind dialogue. Sacramento Press is a valuable tool to become a contributor by offering personal insight and a forum to learn and grow.

Mark Twain wrote, "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness, all foes to true understanding. Likewise tolerance, or broad, wholesome charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by bigoting in our little corner of the earth all one's lifetime."

I read the articles and comments on Sacramento Press to leave my little corner of the earth and learn to see and hear others. I know I need to travel outside my comfort zone to go beyond seeing so much prejudice, ignorance, bigotry and narrow mindedness.

I'm reading the comments to learn more about the city of Sacramento and its people. I read Sacramento Press comments so I won't be like our mayor and surround myself with people who only tell me what I want to hear or what they feel I want or need to know.

If I solely relied on media propaganda from political hired help I would have suffocated by their divide and conquer tactics of using prejudice, ignorance and narrow mindedness as a tool. I wish more who are oppressed would read the Sacramento Press articles, post comments and vent.

By venting, through writing, I was able to breathe through so much confusion, pain and anger. I once felt suffocated and angry but in writing I've learned to remain in the spirit of love and not foster hate.

I learned to overcome the hate caused by reading so many untruthful political propaganda news stories. I learned to have a voice by reading the comments of many who let their voices be heard. I learned to speak out by being embraced by those not experiencing the same pain as I but still experiencing pain.

I've learned to see the pain of others. I've learned by seeing others speak out about subjects which interest or affect them. I learned to look for the passion even if the comment or person making the comment is attempting to attack me. I've learned a great deal from readers of Sacramento Press and I look forward to learning even more.

If I relied on manipulative media releases or sway-public-opinion articles from our mayor and if I had not met so many writers within SN&R, SacBee, Because People Matter, Sacramento Observer, bloggers like JoeSacramento and writers within Sacramento Press, it's possible I would harbor anger.

And now reading comments from Sacramento Press readers such as Marion, bbbmer, Burg and others it's like the icing on the cake, it's like gravy over the meat, it's such a good feeling to see so much community involvement, insight and passion. On Sacramento Press you get a buffet of food for thought. On Sacramento Press you go beyond eating for a day and learning to eat for a lifetime.

In the words of Margaret Mead, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever does." And for goodness sake I see those small groups of committed citizens such as Marion Millin, William Burg, bbbbmer, fifthgensacramentan and others responding on Sacramento Press.

I attended the last two Sacramento Press workshops and I want to say thank you, Sacramento Press, for not only giving a man a fish to eat for a day but thank you, Sacramento Press and those who comment, for teaching more how to fish so we can eat for a lifetime.

The workshops are great. The people are great. The forum is great. So, to answer Steve Maviglio's question -- no, Sacramento Press is not fostering hate. It appears hate is fostered by a mayor who is not accountable and the political propaganda press releases. But fortunately hate can be overcome by Sacramento Press offering a voice for those without political hidden agendas and not swayed by special interest or greed.

Every now and then someone may criticize, argue or debate with a hostile tone but when it happened to me it didn't foster hate it actally gave me the ability to both look at myself and look at them. I learned some people are not really interested in the subject and can be a distraction as they redirect the focus and attention towards you. But I learned personal attacks can give us the ability to learn and to grow in understanding.

Any fight worth fighting is worth being criticized, sometimes attacked, and often disagreed with. I don't expect everyone to agree with me or my opinion. I don't expect to agree with everyone. But on Sacramento Press our similarities (passion) outweighs our differences of opinion.

On Sacramento Press I've learned not just the content of the material written but how it is written -- the force behind it. I've learned so many are fighting. I've learned how to make the pen mightier than the sword.

I'm learning we can disagree and not foster hate. I've learned if you're afraid of being wounded perhaps you should not come near the battle. I've learned hate is deep-rooted and not on the surface of a simple post. I've learned their is always one who will fight individuals rather than a cause.

Most importantly I've learned "Give a man a fish he can eat for a day; teach him how to fish he can eat for a lifetime."

Thank you to the readers of Sacramento Press who post articles and comments for the lessons I am learning and the hope I am receiving which will go beyond the moment -- but hope for a lifetime.

Thank you Sacramento Press for doing what it appears our mayor and his special assistants have failed to do and that is disarm hate by giving the community a voice. Sacramento Press and those who comment provide an all you can eat buffet of food for thought.

Rhonda Erwin

Jennifer Strange Trial: Entercom Sacramento Negligent

2009-10-29T22:50:04Z

After nine days of intense deliberations, a jury of seven men and five women today rendered a verdict against a local Sacramento radio station in the civil trial of William A. Strange et al v. Entercom Sacramento LLC and Entercom Communications Inc. et al. The trial was to determine accountability for the death of Jennifer Strange, who died as a result of a water drinking contest sponsored by Entercom Sacramento's radio station KDND.

By unanimous vote, the jury decided that Entercom Sacramento was negligent in Strange's death; by unanimous vote, they also decided that the parent company, Entercom Communications of Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania was not responsible. By a vote of ten to two, the jury decided that Jennifer Strange did not contribute to her own death.

Economic damages were assessed at $1,477,118. Non-economic damages were assessed at $15,100,000.

Jurors said finding Entercom Sacramento negligent was a relatively simple decision, mostly because Entercom on-air employees ignored phone calls warning them of the dangers of the contest. They said they believed it was the responsibility of Entercom Sacramento to vet the contest with the parent company's legal department, which employees failed to do.

However, jurors reported that they were sharply divided over other issues in the case. They said no one thought Jennifer was 100 percent responsible for her death, but that two jurors thought she shared some responsibility. As only nine jurors had to agree to render a verdict, that issue was quickly decided. Deciding non-economic damages proved much more difficult, and took days of deliberations. According to juror LaTeshia Paggett, some jurors thought that criteria they'd been instructed to consider for compensation like love, companionship, and moral guidance were invaluable, and as such, the family should receive zero compensation for those areas. She said other jurors disagreed sharply and felt the compensation should have been as high as $48 million dollars. In the end, according to juror Tammy Elliott, the jury agreed to averaging the dollar amount each juror felt appropriate. "Each juror's number was weighted equally," Elliott said.

According to Entercom's annual report, Entercom Communications reports a 2008 revenue of $439 million; Sacramento is one of their more profitable markets.

The FCC is still investigating the incident.

See the Jennifer Strange story and hear actual contest audio in Public Interest Picture's Broadcast Blues. For complete trial coverage and analysis of the trial, visit SueWilsonReports.com .

The New Girl: Where’s the There There?

2009-10-29T21:57:13Z

I think the thing about Citrus Heights is that it’s so—real. We don’t put on airs with fancy restaurants and wine bars. We just go down to the one great local white-table-cloth restaurant and get the before-6:30-half-price wine special. (Oops! Booyah closed last year.) We don’t get those European-style flatbread pizzas because Ciro’s traditional is seriously so dang good. We don’t—um. I’m done with this line of thinking.

What struck me as strange about the area when I first got here was the strip malls. I mean we probably have more strip malls per square mile than anywhere else in the world. Sure, there are lots of neighborhoods, public parks, trees, but they’re all tucked behind the strip malls. They started building them, I guess, back in the fifties, and just kept updating to the newer style throughout the sixties, seventies, eighties, nineties, and they’re still going—look at what’s going on in Folsom and Granite Bay and Rocklin. What the heck are they thinking? Enough already! Let’s tear down the older ones or fix them up, convert them to affordable housing or dog parks, but no more new strip malls. Are you with me on this? Anyone?

In Citrus Heights, we don't have an actual physical downtown. We have the Mall, folks tell me. Ain't that the same thing? It is not. So we have to borrow our neighboring cities' downtowns.

Actually, I love old downtown areas. There is a lot of potential in Old Fair Oaks (the chicken capital of the greater Sacramento area), in Old Roseville and in Old Folsom. It’s tough for those small retailers to stay alive, though, competing with the Y’allMarts and the superstores, so when you go back, your favorite little shop is gone and there’s a tattoo parlor in its place. (Okay, nothing against tattoo parlors; some of my best friends have tattoos.) What I’m saying is, sometimes we have to go out of our way to support independent businesses so that we can help create our own little neighborhood Mayberry RFD because it’s already there; it’s just struggling to survive.

Little downtowns are good because they’re quirky. Coffee places, yes—something local, something mom-and-pop. They ought to have an ice cream parlor or frozen yogurt place, and affordable places to have lunch—preferably with patios—and bakeries! They definitely need to have art galleries that support local artists and not just the expensive-prints-that-look-like-real-paintings. There ought to be a nice little book store (usually with cats). Of course, there have to be affordable antiques and collectables, gifty shops and some women’s boutiques. But don’t think this is just a girl thing; we see great hardware stores (that aren’t warehouses!) and pubs (where everybody knows your name) in some of these little towns. Is it too much to ask to have my froyo and sushi and eat it, too?

Yeah, yeah—don’t tell me about Midtown. I know it. I love it. But it’s way over there. That’s my soapbox, and I’m sticking to it. (Plus I really like to go shopping. When I have money. Which I don’t.) I’m The New Girl.

The New Girl: A Cry from the Burbs

2009-10-29T21:03:25Z

As a recent escapee from Silicon Valley, I knew it would be different here in the Sacramento area. I got a good house for a good price (just before the market fell off another cliff, landing me in the High Hopes Heap) but I couldn’t quite manage the cute Midtown bungalows I liked. So I landed in Citrus Heights, on a lovely quiet street, backed onto a creek with kid-trails. In my research before buying, the negatives I heard were all about skunks and helicopters, but I knew these were pretty good negatives compared to my former San Jose home on a heavily trafficked street (and I mean that in all senses) that included graffiti and abandoned shopping carts and—well, traffic.

I like it here—don’t get me wrong! It’s just that I find myself alone in a cute, shingled ranch-style house (Randall Parks! Whoever the heck that is) with one bedroom per cat (I refuse to say, on the grounds that I may sound like the proverbial neighborhood cat-lady) surrounded by lovely, happy, active retirees. Yes, there’s a spattering of young families in my new neighborhood, but if you walk into the local Walgreens, or the Safeway or the Home Depot, you will see what I mean. They raised their families here and found it so nice they saw no reason to move away. Who wants cookie-cutter communities filled with golf carts when you can stay home and live like the Waltons? Randy Parks! Duh.

My cousin PK grew up in this neighborhood and my aunt and uncle live right around the corner from me. PK says she likes to think of us as girls from The Heights—and she wiggles her eyebrows and teaches me to snap my fingers low (a la The Jets). We’re the Cool Girls from The Heights. Don’t mess with us. We might have a rumble down at—at—BevMo or someplace. My aunt just rolls her eyes. But she’s a former second-grade teacher; what would she know about rumbles?

One of the first things I wanted to find in my new hometown was the bookstore. I’m an avid reader, as are my aunt and cousin, and I knew they would know where the best one was.

I asked Aunt P but she looked puzzled. “There’s a Barnes and Noble right down Greenback,” she told me, slowly and gently, using the voice she used to use on the second graders, because I’d have to be an idiot if I didn’t know where the mall was.

“No, I mean the nice little non-conglomerate bookstore—where they have cats wandering around and they post reviews by the staff and they invite authors for book-signings.”

PK snorted a little. “We should open one of those! Problem is, we’d have to name it Guns, Jugs & Those Things You Read to get anyone around here to come in.”

Aunt P gave her The Look. “You are not encouraging a wholesome view of our nice community to The New Girl,” she said.

Well, we went on a hunt, and while it is true that the nearby burbs don’t seem to have any independent family-with-cats-owned bookstores that we found, we did discover lots of used bookstores, most notably The Book Lovers on Madison at Manzanita (he has cats in there!) and Kai’s Books on Auburn Folsom in Granite Bay (they post reviews and recommendations). The best bookstores of the ilk I was imagining (new literary in addition to used) are, of course, all the way Downtown and Midtown: Beers on S Street and—guess what?—The Avid Reader at the Tower. A little bit of a drive, but worth it.

Another need I had was a good place to walk—in nature and for more than ten minutes. I have a nice little creek with a 10-15 minute path behind my house, and a few little neighborhood parks, but I didn't know where else to go, away from traffic noise. Everyone kept telling me I needed to go to “the River” but I had no clue where to access the trails, where was safe, etc.

Then I discovered Meetup.com, and on that there are hiking and walking groups! Who knew? (Not my family.) There are meetups for mah jong, for Chihuahua owners, for moms-who-jog, for eating sushi, for UFO-sightings—anything you can dream up, there’s probably a meetup for it. And it’s usually free.

Anyway, I joined one called TrailMix and have worked up to hiking most weeknights, some weekends, and discovered all the ins and outs of the Parkway and a lot of the parks in and around the cities here. We have two rivers! We have nearby mountains! Now I’m not saying there isn’t wild life in Citrus Heights—and not just at the It’ll Do Saloon—because we do have a lot of turkeys and skunks. But on my walks by the river, I've seen great blue heron, egrets, a fox, lots of deer and a coyote. There are bridges and paths and real wildlife—oh, my! Now I say “Bay Area, Schmay Area—we got nature right here, baby!”

You probably know all this. But since I work from home, I don’t have the advantage of hanging out by the water cooler to connect with people who walk really really fast. The cats are nice but not very talkative (unless it's dinnertime), so I have been looking for ways to connect with the rest of the universe. And I found it.
I’m The New Girl.

C.H.A.E.D Charter High School of Architecture+Engineering+Design

2009-10-29T19:45:28Z

It starts with the premise of caring for high school students’ future by providing them a quality education to be successful. CHAED will deliver innovative methods to improve and achieve academic excellence, reduce the number of high school dropouts, and give students the opportunity to excel in higher learning and compete with today’s challenge.

In today’s world, it is important that high school students stay current with technology and information, engage in real life applications, and be discipline in their study in order to be competitive. This school will provide the competitive edge.

I think many parents want a public high school to serve the neighborhoods of Midtown, Oak Park, East Sac, River Park, College Greens, and Tahoe Park. CHAED can provide parents another choice of school for their kids. This school will be unique and vibrant to downtown Sacramento and can serve as a hub for community participation and collaboration. Once more, it starts with caring for our children knowing they hold the key to a better future and recognizing their potential to make a positive difference in society. I hope to make CHAED become a reality so that it can give our kids a prosperous, healthy, and meaningful future.

MISSION STATEMENT:

CHAED believes creativity is the soul for architects, engineers, and professional designers and most importantly a vehicle to solve problems, present innovative ideas, and give sound solutions. The school will enable students first hand what they need to know to become an architect, engineer, or professional designer, furthermore, it wants each student to have an appreciation for how creativity can process its way through the curriculum as the lifeline for design and analytical thinking. CHAED is a network of students, parents, educators, and professional leaders all learning, collaborating, and committed to an innovative program of study, while integrating the design process with the mastery of a strong liberal arts education. This unique kind of network will give importance and value to an education students can learn from and succeed.

CHAED introduces students to the theories and practices of architecture, design and construction, the building industry and related community issues, engineering design and technical applications, integrating them thematically into a rigorous academic high school curriculum. In participating in CHAED's program, students will see how mathematics, writing and communicating, and social construct through architecture, engineering, and design is used alive all the time in real world applications. The school will develop in graduates the tools necessary to be confident in their choice of career and their choice of university or post-secondary school. Equally important, students will leave CHAED with a sense of purpose, an identity, and a role to society as a positive difference maker.

EDUCATIONAL APPROACH:

CHAED is dedicated to recognize the importance of each student's natural abilities and intelligence and cultivate them to reach higher potential. Equally important, the school will recognize and nurture the students and staff of varied cultural and social backgrounds to achieve full intellectual and social potential. Each student has the personal support of an advisory teacher who monitors that student's progress and offers guidance in developing a rewarding academic identity. In addition to the personal support, students will learn hands on experience through mentorship programs. Knowing students as individuals, teachers encourage them to reflect, develop skills, take risks, and follow a passion.

CURRICULUM FOCUS

CHAED will teach students the fundamentals of liberal arts have in connecting to real world application so that it does not become static, disconnected, and all but abstractions in the learning process. The curriculum will integrate liberal arts and the disciplines of architecture, engineering, and design to create a symbiotic relationship for an understanding and appreciation of how both relate to each other. To support the symbiotic relationship, CHAED will apply the concepts of “awareness” and “learn by doing” approach. As a result, students will gain reflection of the real world, discover their interest, and prepare them to be active, life-long learners.

CHAED will offer not only the core subject areas but also a strong selection of elective classes and programs that will be an additional key to building a successful charter school. Examples are: fine arts, music, business, information technology, second language, photography, athletic program, mentoring program, personal development, health, etc.

CUSTOMER FOCUS:

CHAED will focus on:
1. a safe and friendly school environment,
2. character building of each student in terms of responsibility, integrity, becoming a teamplayer, and respect,
3. preparing students to be good citizens, and
4. students' compassion and humility for themselves, others at school, and members of the broader community.

OUTCOMES AND GOALS:

Upon graduating from CHAED, each student will have:

1. a clearly demonstrated set of academic skills,
2. confidently chosen a career path that they feel proud of,
3. a complete and sound portfolio of their work,
4. internship experience in the workplace and volunteer time in community service,
5. a personal development plan beyond high school,
6. eligible university or post-secondary transferable courses,
7. effective studying tools to improve their higher-education learning experience, and
8. a diploma!

Are you interested and willing to support CHAED's mission? If so, together we can develop a school where young students can reach for their dreams and recognize their potential for success!

Please contact me if you are interested in becoming a board member or part of the planning committee at nrcruz@sbcglobal.net. Thank you!

Marshall School Closure Blow to Central City Renaissance

2009-10-29T19:05:14Z

The sudden directive by Sacramento City Unified School District that California Montessori Project must abandon the Old Marshall Elementary School has done more than disrupt the lives of the students, parents and faculty. It has the potential to strike a major blow to the renaissance of the central city. One of the primary reasons families choose where they live is what schools are available. CMP had operated successfully out of the Pioneer Church for eight years. The site did limit the size of the enrollment. When SCUSD deemed Old Marshall School safe for charter school and offered it to CMP, after careful consideration they accepted the offer. CMP was thrilled to have a beautiful building that could be used for it's original purpose and they could expand to meet the strong demand for more student enrollment. Central city neighborhood leaders also expressed their enthusiasm for Old Marshall School returning as an elementary school with a program that attracted more families to Midtown and the surrounding area. This accelerated the trend of families moving in and the stabilizing effect they create.

The directive to move out of Old Marshall includes help moving and an alternative site. Unfortunately this school is far removed from the central city. At Tuesday night's CMP emergency board meeting, the accepting environment of Midtown and the CMP school was cited by sexual and racial minority parents as a prime reason for where they live. Many other families are the “New Urbanists”. They choose to live in neighborhoods that are reviving old homes, are mixed use and walkable. Having an excellent school that reflected their values is a major component of the mix. Now having their children bussed or having to drive them themselves creates new issues of safety and convenience.

What is to become of Old Marshall School is also a great concern to central city neighborhood leaders. If it sets empty it becomes a magnet for graffiti and vandalism. Will other uses be compatible with the neighborhood? Frankly the administration of the adult education program previously housed in the school was outright hostile to the neighborhood.

Many of us believe that SCUSD, the City of Sacramento and the neighborhoods need to work together to return Old Marshall School to being a high quality elementary school. The deficiencies in the building need to be clearly identified, the cost to remedy these deficiencies set out, and a plan to carry out fixing the problem developed. This needs to be done for the sake of a high quality historic building and a liveable central city. The SACOG Blueprint identifies the central city of Sacramento as the area with the largest amount of infill. To be successful families need to be part of this infill. Without the option of an excellent elementary school this will be very difficult.

Fighting empty calories through proactive academic nutrition

2009-10-29T04:55:59Z

Something is missing on Natomas Unified School District’s campuses that makes it harder to satisfy a sweet tooth: soda and candy vending machines.

A 2005 California Health Interview Survey showed that 62 percent of teens consume 39 pounds of sugar each year from soft drinks alone. The research showed that counties with the highest obesity rates had the highest rates of soda consumption.

One Natomas Unified School District parent, Heather Reed, said she “agrees 100% with the district’s ban on soda machines” and believes there is a link between adolescent obesity and soda consumption.

Reed is in a unique position; not only is her daughter an eighth grader at Leroy Greene Middle School, but Reed works as an Education Nutrition Consultant for the California Department of Education and also serves on the district‘s Health and Wellness Committee.

“I think sodas are like comic books,” Reed said. “They’re not going to nourish you.”

In 2007, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a law banning the sale of soda on public high school campuses. Resulting in lost income for school districts, the law didn’t fully take affect until earlier this year. NUSD has no candy vending machines, but currently there is no law against them.

Last month, the Wellness Committee unveiled its “Wellness Policy on Physical Activity and Nutrition,” an outline of nourishment goals, daily physical education plans, rules about meal times and special instructions for foodservice at classroom parties.

Limiting foods with minimal nutritional value, restricting fat and sugar, and increasing whole grain, fruit and vegetable offerings are all goals of the “Wellness Policy.”

The policy states that brand names or logos on school books and scoreboards can only represent foods approved by the Wellness Committee. While Reed said she doesn’t think advertising of any kind belongs on school campuses, the potential for profit is appealing.

Reed said school fundraising through selling candy is another area that the Wellness Committee has started to regulate. Students are discouraged from selling candy to raise money and candy is not supposed to be given as a reward for good behavior.

“Personally, I don’t think candy is an evil thing.” Reed said, “I think selling it for fundraising is a bad thing.”

With budget cuts of more than $13 million forcing the district to re-evaluate its spending, one area that will see a dramatic change is foodservice. According to NUSD Public Information Officer Heidi Van Zant, the district started using Chartwells, a foodservice management company, on June 1 in order to carve money out of the budget. Students now pay $3 for lunch entrées, last year they paid $2.50.

Van Zant describes a high school cafeteria under Chartwells as “a whole new world.”

The new options for high school students are almost overwhelming; in one cafeteria, seven entrée areas each serve a different style of food daily. Students also get fresh fruit and a choice between fat free milk and 100% juice. Every week, students are given 35 different entree choices including crunchy tacos, vegetarian or Hawaiian pizzas, teriyaki beef or orange chicken plates, eggplant deli sandwiches and spinach or chef salads.

Inderkum High senior Mariana Diaz said she doesn’t usually eat school lunch entrées, but she does eat a la carte and snack items. Diaz, who drinks mostly water, said she stopped drinking soda four years ago, so the absence of soda vending machines on campus has never affected her diet.

“My mom stopped drinking soda so I just decided not to because I know it’s unhealthy,” Diaz said.

Diaz said she mostly brings food from home instead of buying any $3 school lunches, but she occasionally buys $2 burritos that haven’t changed in quality or price since last year. She said more students, like herself, would buy school entrées more often if the prices were lower, the portions were bigger and students could get through the service lines faster.

Diaz added that although Inderkum sells breakfast, like cereal and muffins, she has never eaten any breakfast items at school.

“I guess I just come to school too late to get breakfast,” Diaz said, “but I probably wouldn’t spend my money on it anyway.”

Reed said the Wellness Committee is planning a two-week “walk-to-school free breakfast pilot program” aimed at promoting breakfast to high school students. Breakfast is extremely important, Reed said, and even though 75 percent of Natomas High School students qualify for reduced price meals, a lot of them don’t take advantage of it.

“Some schools are doing amazing things with food like creating gardens, farms, and increasing fresh fruit and veggie options,” Reed said. “The goal is to try to make foods not only more healthful but connect it to the rest of the school.”

The Wellness Committee meets on the second Thursday of each month at 3:30 p.m. The Board will hold a Student Health and Wellness Workshop on Oct. 28 at 6 p.m. in the district’s Education Center at 1901 Arena Blvd.

Sacramento women coached in happiness

2009-10-29T04:46:19Z

Search no more for the keys to happiness.

Meditate. Be optimistic. Keep positive people nearby. Get them to listen to you. Be resilient when things aren’t going your way.

"Happiness is an acquired skill of 'feng shui-ing the brain,'" said Sacramento-based life coach Nancy Kilgore. “It’s basically re-arranging furniture in your mind when you go through a hard circumstance and saying, ‘This is a lesson; I can overcome this.’”

Participants listened, read, shared, munched and meditated their way toward happiness at her presentation “5 Things Every Happy Woman Does” on Oct. 12 at the Sierra II Center for the Arts and Community.

In order to be happy it is important to open one’s mind to new skills and to change, explained Kilgore. This can mean overcoming anxiety, easing away from expectations of perfection or accepting things that are out of one’s control.

“We have to consciously look at our lives and say ‘I don’t think I’m happy,’” she said, "in order to be willing to make changes toward a happier state of mind."

To Kilgore, meditation is an integral part of each day’s happiness. She claimed meditation allows new ideas to enter one’s mind. During her presentation, Kilgore led a guided meditation with the lights off and calm music in the background.

“You’re precious,” Kilgore said. “No one in the world is like you. (There is a) warm light on top of your head, over your shoulders, like liquid gold, relaxing, feeling support, compassion and love. And now feel that compassion and love for yourself.”

However, the key to happiness is not all in the mind. Kilgore also spoke about the need for women to be leaders in their relationships with others to arrive at positive, happy interactions.

Don’t be around negative people, she urged. One of the 12 women in the audience shared her frustrations about a toxic relationship she has with a female acquaintance.

“She knows what to do with my life better than I do,” the participant said.

Kilgore empathized. She recounted solving a similar problem with her own mother, who preferred dishing out advice to listening.

“You call me back when you know what listening is!” Kilgore quoted herself. Participants laughed.

“I’ll tell ya, it really decreases the stress in the human body when we feel listened to," Kilgore said in a more serious tone.

In addition to being around positive people, she emphasized that it is also necessary to a woman’s happiness to feel heard by those people. Sometimes, getting listened to means being assertive.

“When we are assertive, we’re happier,” Kilgore said.

She urged women to stand up for themselves, even if it just means saying something like: “I see things differently than you do.”

A woman in the audience offered her own favorite short, assertive phrase.

“Well in business, ... I say ‘that’s not acceptable,’ and I get action every time. It really works,” the participant said.

In addition to dealing with difficult people, another part of happiness is dealing with one’s own anger, according to Kilgore.

“It’s important to make appointments with people who have offended you,” Kilgore said. Start with a compliment, she suggested, then lead into “‘I feel upset,’ and ‘I need to be heard.’” Problem solving is the next step, she said, but only after earnest listening and understanding.

For happiness in intimate relationships, listening and understanding are particularly vital, she pointed out.

“You’ll know you’re in a positive interaction when you’re mad, and that other person knows you’re mad, and says to you: ‘Please inform me. I just really want to understand,”’ Kilgore said.

Having trust in a loving relationship brings happiness, she explained, because it frees partners from anxiety. She suggests that this freedom encourages women to do their own separate projects and activities.

In addition to her happiness tips for women, Kilgore also discussed abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder in women. She shared some of her research about the traumatized brain, which she studied for her master’s at the University of Oregon.

So what is happiness exactly? Kilgore reminded participants that happiness is unique for each individual.

One participant, Sherry, who didn't give her last name, reflected on points Kilgore had discussed.

“Happiness isn’t a destination,” she said. “It’s about working through all this kind of stuff.” She gestured around the room to other women who had shared their struggles.

Beverages, cookies and chocolate were provided at the speech. Kilgore mentioned that she intended for it to be an introduction to a happiness-focused women’s support group. The group will allow participants to “try on new behaviors in a safe environment,” Kilgore said.

The support group will meet weekly on Mondays from 7 - 8:30 p.m., starting Oct. 26. It will be located in Midtown Sacramento, at a location to be announced soon. The cost is $65 per month.

More information is available by calling Kilgore at A Bright Day For All, her East Sacramento business, at (916) 256-9963.

Life After Layoff: Two Sacramento Reporters Speak Out

2009-10-29T00:55:56Z

Winter and spring of 2009 upended two Sacramento journalists. Just ask Sena Christian, 28, and Walter Yost, 61.

The employers of both working reporters fired them this year. Christian covered the environment. Yost’s beat was education.

Their unemployment is part of a newsroom trend across the country. Layoffs in journalism rose at a rate of 22 percent per month in the one-year period which ended this August, reports Unity: Journalists of Color, Inc., “a strategic alliance advocating fair and accurate news coverage about people of color, and aggressively challenging the industry to staff its organizations at all levels to reflect the nation’s diversity.”

That downsizing of journalists compares with an economy-wide job-loss rate of 8 percent a month for the same 12 months. Further, according to the U.S. Labor Department, layoffs for news analysts, reporters and correspondents doubled between second-quarter 2008 and second-quarter 2009.

Christian, a former full-time reporter for 18 months at the weekly Sacramento News & Review, owned by Chico Community Publishing, Inc., was “not completely shocked” at her in-person firing by Editor Melinda Welsh in February.

“I knew that the paper like all papers was struggling,” Christian said.

Rapid technological change and a housing crash are driving down revenues for newspapers. The popularity of digital media is attracting paid readership from print media. At the same time, the bursting of the housing bubble has wiped out wealth and buying power for businesses and households, according to Dean Baker, author, economist and co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington, DC.

Yost, a full-time Sacramento Bee reporter for 16 and a half years, got a phone call from the paper’s editor, Melanie Sill, about his March layoff.

“It didn’t totally surprise me,” he said, noting his job loss was one of 128 Bee-wide. The paper’s newsroom accounted for 29 job cuts.

“These layoffs followed-up our labor contract negotiations with the McClatchy Company (which owns The Bee and 29 other daily newspapers),” said Yost. "I had sat at the bargaining table as vice chair of the Newspaper Guild, Local 39521, Communications Workers of America, AFL-CIO. We had been forewarned that there would be serious cutbacks. Frankly, all of us were startled at how big it was.”

Labor union rights and wrongs at the workplace were not factors in Christian’s layoff. SN&R is a non-union employer. The work force, company employees and freelance contributors, labors at-will.

This means employment is for no defined length of time. Further, the employer and employee are legally free to end their labor arrangement at any time for any reason.

Currently, Christian and Yost receive state unemployment insurance. Christian gets a $700 UI check every two weeks and is on her first six-month extension of jobless benefits.

Yost receives every two-week UI checks of $750. The beginning of his first six-month extension of UI benefits draws near.

Currently, Christian is pursuing journalism as a freelancer for the SN&R and other news outlets. It’s a challenge to make ends meet, she said. Her pay is about 80 percent less as an SN&R freelancer than as a full-time reporter, with no employer-provided health-care insurance. She pays for that coverage now.

“That’s a little hard to swallow,” Christian said. “What I’m making is not enough to pay even half of my rent now.”

She freelanced for 6 months at the paper before landing a full-time slot.

Out of necessity, she has branched out as a freelance journalist. Her work appeared in the Missoula Independent and Monterey County Weekly recently.

Yost has not been reporting since his layoff from The Bee. It’s not for a lack of trying. He has been looking for new journalism employment.

However, “those jobs are just not out there” Yost said. “A representative at a major newspaper laughed in my face when I asked about openings for reporter jobs now or in the future.”

Meanwhile, Yost is active with the Northern California Media Workers Guild of The Sacramento Bee. He is a non-voting staff person involved in bargaining talks with the McClatchy Co. for a new labor contract. “It might be the most important contract for Guild members at The Bee since the 1970s,” Yost said. The union’s negotiations with the company begin Nov. 2.

Speaking of important things for reporters and readers, Christian is concerned about the effects of a worsening economy on the profession of journalism.

“Publications are getting more desperate to survive, and that might lead to the break-down of the wall between editorial and sales," she said. "This is a conflict of interest that really disturbs me.”

In theory, this “wall” separates a news outlet’s main sources of revenue (such as advertisers) from shaping editorial output, or what reporters write. Therefore, a journalist is free, say, to cover a company’s business practices even if it buys ad space in the same publication.

What actually happens in practice in newsrooms? The answers are subject to debate.

In their 1988 book "Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media," Noam Chomsky and Edward S. Herman present case studies of news reporting and develop an alternate theory of press censorship.

They argue that there are filters that news must pass through to be newsworthy. One filter is a publication’s advertisers. Crucially, ad revenues fund a news firm’s daily operations, i.e., salaries, supplies, etc.

For Yost, Bee journalist layoffs bode ill for the paper’s role as a daily watchdog in the public’s interest.

“The loss to the Sacramento community and beyond is that there are fewer reporters covering corruption in state and local governments," Yost said. "This is not a left or right thing.”

According to a spring essay by John Nichols and Robert W. McChesney in The Nation on the crisis in U.S. journalism, if a press watchful of power and wealth is neither a conservative or liberal issue, perhaps it is time to view journalism as a public utility.

That viewpoint assumes, of course, that a political democracy such as the U.S. requires a free press to inform its citizens for reasons of open government. Therefore, with journalism in a kind of death-spiral today, the role of the press is too vital to American democracy to remain a private asset, the essay states.

Back in Sacramento, Christian and Yost, down but not out, are surviving a severe print media shake-out. As the owners of the industry strive to create profitable ways to produce, distribute and consume news, nothing suggests that this process is nearing an end. Christian and Yost’s lives after their newspaper layoffs are proof of that.

One thing is clear. They are not alone.

Gone with the wind: But where?

2009-10-28T22:01:01Z

For a few days, at least until Tuesday's winds came blowing in, the streets of Sacramento’s central city area were looking clean. The colossal mess left by the Oct. 13 storm was taken care of, for the most part. The giant fallen elm trees had been hauled away. Loose piles of branches and Mother Nature’s other castings were nearly all swept up, leaving the question: Where did all that clutter and debris go and where will all this new mess go?

Chances are that the old 100-foot tall elm tree that fell on a home on the 3400 block of J Street two weeks ago, could end up powering someone’s HDTV.

“Typically we recycle all the wood waste, grind it up into woodchips that are then converted into electricity at wood waste plants,” said Michael Root, an analyst at the city’s Urban Forestry Division.

Root, who added that not a day goes by when someone doesn’t point out the obvious relationship between his name and his line of work, said the cost of the cleanup far exceeds the energy savings, but there are other cost-saving benefits to alternatively disposing urban wood-waste.

“The main effect is the lowered cost of recycling the wood-waste, as compared to land-filling it,” Root said.

The cost savings is about half, according to Root. The city could cough up anywhere from $40 to $45 per ton to landfill the waste, as opposed to $20 to $25 per ton to have it handled by wood-waste recyclers.

Woodchips not burned in power plants are also spread around for weed suppression at recreation areas like the American River bike trail, or could be used to fill in the grounds at places like the dog park in Sutter’s Landing, Sacramento’s old landfill on the levee.

Root says approximately 100 to 125 trees went down in the Oct. 13 storm, but the total cost of the cleanup so far has not been determined. By comparison, the last big storm of January 2007 knocked down over 500 public and privately owned trees, costing the city a total of $128,425 for removal and disposal.

With most of the major cleanup of this month’s earlier storm completed by last Friday, Root says the city will move into the next phase: damage assessment.

Luckily, Root said, most of the more mature trees that fell during this year’s storm slowly uprooted and came to rest along buildings sides, rather than cracking and crashing down.

In one such instance near the McGeorge School of Law in Oak Park, a Chinese elm lifted up, then nestled itself along a library building. Buildings and grounds director Paul DeMersseman said the storm looked calamitous but caused no major damage.

“It looked like a tornado came through here,” DeMersseman said. He said that no damage was done to the building other than broken roofing tiles, but some tree branches hit a few parked cars in the area.

So, before fallen elms like the one near McGeorge become the power source to recharge some Californian’s iPhone, they are fated to one of the city’s ulmas purgare — or tree purgatories.

Sitting temporarily in empty lots around the city, these giant bark-covered carcasses await their final destination — either back to the earth or to a tree’s equivalent of cremation at one of the surrounding region’s wood-waste plants.

According to information provided by the California Energy Commission, there are three such facilities in the Sacramento region —one in Woodland and two in Lincoln. Combined, they can generate up to 71 megawatts of power — enough to power about 63,000 homes.

However, these plants don’t serve publicly owned utility companies like the Sacramento Municipal Utility District. According to SMUD officials, Sacramento gets its wood-waste electricity transmitted down from a 55 megawatt plant in Washington.

In the big picture of California’s energy production, urban wood-waste makes up a small portion of the state’s electrical output.

Including anything from old palettes found in landfills to uncontaminated leftover materials from construction sites, urban wood-waste is considered biomass – a renewable energy source that also include agricultural and other solid wastes. In 2006, biomass contributed about 2 percent to California’s electricity mix, according to the CEC.

Given the relatively low output of electricity from wood-waste, Luanne Leineke of the Sacramento Tree Foundation says she thinks all the expired trees from the city’s urban forest would better serve if mulched and returned to the soil.

“Mulch is wonderful,” Leineke said. “It’s organic material, full of organisms that are all great for future things to grow.”

According to Leineke, mulch helps to oxygenate the soil while keeping it impacted. If more mulch were used to replant new trees, Leineke said, they would grow stronger and less susceptible to storm damage.

Dr. Bruce Hartsough, professor at the UC Davis department of biological and agricultural engineering, agreed but said a balance needs to be struck.

“There’s uncertainty on both sides,” Hartsough said. "Fossil fuels are a finite resource - wood can provide an alternative - but there’s a trade off between how much you burn for energy and what you mulch.”

According to Hartsough, using woodchips for mulch is a viable option, but the practice operates in a niche market. “If you tried to take it all and sell it for mulch, you would saturate the market,” he said.

Hartsough, who has researched the potential benefits of forest biomass, says that while energy is currently the lowest-value market for wood products, branches and limbs that are too small for lumber are well suited for energy purposes.

Putting it into perspective, Hartsough added that in the end, California uses some pretty advanced technology to perform a very primitive task: burning wood for heat.

“In less developed countries around the world, about 80 percent of wood is used for heat and cooking,” Hartsough said. “It is a primary source of energy still.”

While researchers and policy-makers further debate about what do to with all the wood-waste, Sacramentans will do like they do every stormy season — continue to pick up the mess.

In the meantime, Root says the Urban Forestry Division is working on updating their tree inventory. He said soon the city will switch to a new Graphic Information System that tracks every public tree, allowing them to instantly determine which trees are public and which are private.

“In the next storm, we’ll immediately know what type of tree it is, and immediately know what type of service to dispatch,” Root said.

Spirit Of Volunteer

2009-10-28T19:27:54Z

In the wake and aftermaths of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina there were a blanket full of firemen, policemen, emergency personnel, nurses, doctors and military helping to save lives and care for the injured.

Volunteers are comparable to the heroic professionals. A volunteer is a person who voluntarily expresses a willingness to undertake a service without expecting much in return but their self-gratification of humility.

In the case of the aforementioned tragic events as an example, the human spirit acts with no hesitation and no apprehension and reaches out to help another as if it were second nature. Fortunately, these tragic events do not happen too often and as a result, we do not see evidence of mass volunteer efforts in the press.

Are there other types of volunteer efforts not triggered by tragic events, but simply by definition reach out to others in need of help? If so, where are these heroic individuals? For whose lives do they make a difference? The answers is found through non-profit organizations where you will meet men and women devoted to giving up their time to help a greater cause.

Meet Bob Eddleman, a 77-year-old volunteer for "Safe At Home Program" under Rebuilding Together in Sacramento.

The program started officially with many volunteers in 2001 to improve and serve low-income senior homeowners year-round. It performs safety installations, such as grab bars and wheelchair ramps, to increase the homeowner’s independence and prevent injuries in the home.

When Eddleman retired, he felt he needed to do something to give back to the community. He attended an exercise class and met the instructor, Carl Hammer, who introduced him to the program. Eddleman has volunteered since then and is comfortable as the lead man for making custom handrails.

"Each day is a different challenge and I like to solve design problems and fabricate different materials," Eddleman said. He says being a volunteer gave him an outlook on life with the "graying" population that he is becoming a part of and can see the need for the program.

"The organization is one of a kind, operated by the best group of people who are dedicated to serving our clients and keeping them safe," he said. "Our volunteers are also dedicated and learn something new each time they go out on a job. They share their experiences at morning meetings so each person learns to avoid certain pitfalls. It is a pleasure to be part of such a fine organization."

Carl Hammer is the founder of “Safe At Home Program” which began from grassroots in 2000 when he was 75 years old.

During that time, it was Eddleman, Norm Echols, and Hammer responsible for the program. They knew the need was there to help seniors when they kept getting requests for things such as odd jobs and simple tasks like changing light bulbs or handyman work.

Hammer stepped down as board of director, became a volunteer, and took charge of the warehouse. Today he is still in charge in taking care of the facility, tools and equipment. All three men ran the program operation for the first year and put in 150 installations.

Hammer said 98 percent of his clients were appreciative and the rest were the "gimmies" and "wants" and seldom said thank you. “Our clients give us hugs, cookies, candy and many sorts of things,” he said.

Fifty percent of the time, the work involves people skills because the clients are thirsty for conversation. The other half of the time is actual installation work.

In the many years of Hammer’s experience in the program, he said he gained a sense of personal development and spiritual growth.

“My participation in the program kept my communication skills up to enable me talk to many men and woman and people with disabilities,” he said. "It is very rewarding, gratifying and humble because you can see immediately that you’re helping the person.”

He said he keeps coming back because he needs to stay active. “As a senior retired person, if you just sit soon you're not going to be here sitting. You’re going to be lying down,” he joked. He said he believes that if you stay active, your mind and body functions well and you want to do more.

He said he believes volunteering contributes to people living longer and happier because they are doing something. Hammer is 85 years old and teaches an exercise class for senior citizens.

I think there is a calling for most people to volunteer once in their lifetime. People volunteer to help during tragic events, to find something to do after retirement, to give back to the community and to fulfill their inner personal and spiritual growth.

I was laid off last December and have not found work since. With the bleak outlook in the job market and having a lot of time on my hands, I felt compelled to use my time wisely.

I began volunteering at Safe At Home Program and met Bob and Carl and others. I also volunteer for ACE Mentor Program to help and guide high school students in careers in architecture, construction and engineering. Being a volunteer has helped me become a better person. When I have days where I find myself stressed, worried, sad or depressed there is always a sense of relief when I show up to volunteer.

When I help others and see their smiles and tears of joy it's so uplifting to my soul and I no longer feel sad. I have met new friends and never imagined at 38 years old that I would have a gang of senior citizens that I can say are my friends.

I feel connected with a touch of humanity; that is the true meaning of the spirit of volunteer.

For more information about Safe At Home Program, contact David Grantham at (916) 455-1880 ext. #3 or visit www.rebuildingtogethersacramento.org

Dia de la Raza?

2009-10-27T03:31:17Z

Most people can recall the memorable childhood song taught in elementary school about the man who is celebrated every year on Oct. 12th which began with: “Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492”. However, what if this man did not exactly discover the new world? What if there was more to discuss about this holiday than the everyday American seems to forget in thanks to a day off?

Students and professors alike gathered in dozens in City College’s Multicultural Center of City College on Oct.12th, 2009 to discuss the man behind the holiday-leaving an open ended conclusion of the fate of the celebration.

The discussion quickly asked if Columbus was really the first person to discover the “New World”.

The answer came in mixed reviews claiming it was indeed the Vikings or indigenous cultures, but history Professor Riad Bahur had another take on the integrity of the discovery.

He stated no one can discover something that was already there-that there is a difference between recognition and discovery.

By saying Columbus discovered the America means “the people who lived there prior didn’t exist.”

Ethnic Studies professor Tami Cheshire joined the panel with her opinion for the motivation for Columbus’ infamous sail.

According to Cheshire, Columbus’ desire came from 3 places- recognition, glory, and gold.

While many from the panel supported the theory that was indeed the motivation for many conquerors, one asked, “Why Columbus?”

Riad Bahur simply replied “he is a symbol for colonial societies.”

“Those who establish holidays are usually powerful,” said Riad. “Columbus is a hero to those who benefited to the conquest.”

Riad also acknowledged that the holiday does come with some controversy.

Many people felt the holiday is less than deserving and the day should even be revoked.

Discussions were bought up of Columbus’ less than stellar contributions to the new world such as new diseases, genocide, racism, and even destruction of a culture.

A targeted topic circling around this discussion was ethnocentrism and that manifest destiny was the detriment to the indigenous people.

While some tried to stay on topic, many could not resist seeing the connections to current day topics.

One person draws attention to several global examples of ethnocentric actions that mirror Columbus that are occurring right now.

The discussion is left with many opinions in the air, history stated, and people left wanting some repercussions for the acts of Columbus and his voyage.

Sacramento City Student College Student John Garcia left the discussion with a new understanding of the holiday and an appreciation for those who feel displaced from what happened centuries ago.

“Sure those people were greedy and ethnocentric.” Said Garcia “But look where we are now- we’re all lucky to have this country”

Zines: Local Underground Subculture

2009-10-26T20:44:55Z

A bead of sweat drips down the pierced nose of a girl as she grabs a hold of several heart-shaped balloons and floats away into the summer sky. Her balloons are etched into a piece paper with black Sharpie while her summer sky develops with the reader’s imagination. The wind picks up and flutters the pages of “Dreams of Donuts”, a comic zine for the young at heart filled with stories of bike rides, building gazebos from recycled materials, and other personal accounts from a local zine-creator who simply goes by Heather.

Zines are a heavily photocopied, do-it-yourself mini-booklet commonly printed in black and white. Held together by good old-fashioned staples, zines open a window into the colorful life of its creator with the turn of each page. Zines can double as a homemade diary to the creator, who then chooses to share those experiences with growing the zine-world.

“I do document much of my life through true stories and a lot of my fiction is borrowed from true events,” Andy Garcia, a former Sacramento City College student and creator of “Up the Kids” zine, quietly said. “Maybe hoping someone else can relate to it, or learn from it, or feel empowered even.”

Garcia, a soft-spoken 27 year-old, with tattered pants and an earthy-green beanie, remembers when he first stumbled upon an old pile of black and white zines at his friend’s house.

“The first zine I ever picked up was a D.I.Y zine that had everything from booking tours, composting, to making your own tofu,” Garcia said holding his warm coffee. “There were so many things in that zine that blew my mind; it opened my mind to a different culture.”

Garcia describes his zine, “Up the Kids”, as a hodge-podge of many zines rolled into one. “Up the Kids” can be found at Newsbeat, a Sacramento news shop at 1050 20th Street.

Zines come in many forms, no two are the same. Comic-zines capture clips from everyday life and transform them into mini-comics, while how-to zines may explain the mechanics of building your own bicycle. There are also political-zines featuring strong opinions and outlooks, food-zines sharing recipes with readers, and poetry-zines expressing the poems of local poets.

Zines have a way of connecting people from all parts of the country together with relatable stories of growing up, heartbreak, traveling and real issues that people find themselves facing like abuse or mental illness.

“I like writing about broken hearts because that’s universal and maybe because I might hope that one of those terrible people will pick up my zine and know that I am talking about them,” Garcia jokes.

Anyone can get a hold of zines, whether it is checking out the pile of zines at Sacramento’s R5 Records, going online to search for an independent distributer of zines, or attending the many zine festivals held all over the country.

San Francisco, Calif. and Portland, Ore. are two major cities on the west coast that hold annual zine fests. Over 100 different zine creators from all over the country will share, sell, or trade their work with thousands of people.

“The thing I appreciate about zine culture the most is that it’s not about making money, it’s about trading,” Sarina, creator of local zine “Carrots and Condoms”, explained. “You’re trading a piece of your art for someone else’s, a piece of your experience for someone else’s experience.”

Sacramento held its first Zine Symposium this past July at The Brickhouse Gallery and Arts Complex. A group of people involved in the zine community from the Sacramento and Davis areas, collaborated on the idea of bringing creative people together.

“I wanted to bring together a community of creative people from Sacramento and Davis that use each other as resources,” Sharmi Basu, head-organizer of Sacramento Zine Symposium, said. “Part of the reason why I want to do this is so people can get the confidence to do it themselves.”

Making a zine can cost several dollars per issue at your local copy and print stores, depending upon the number of pages printed, color or black and white copies, and many other variables those stores throw your way. Many zinesters tag a price of about $2 to $3 onto their finished photocopied masterpiece, but frequently, many zinesters will accept zine for zine instead of money.

“I think a lot of people that are new to zines don’t understand that you are not going to make money and you’re not going to break even either,” Sarina said twisting her brown dreadlocks. “You’re going to make a zine out of love and if you’re trying to make it for money or to break even it’s not going to happen.”

There is no right or wrong way to start making a zine because they work as an imaginative or therapeutic outlet for those who choose to create them, the creator has total freedom.

“I just like the creative process of digging into yourself,” Sarina said. “It’s almost like therapy, you cry when you write a lot or at least I do.”

Spending time getting lost in the pages of zines can remind us all that we aren’t as abnormal as we feel and that everyone no matter how different can relate to one another somehow even if that person is across the country.

“I wanted to create some sort of community even though it’s small,” Garcia said. “If I can write some story where someone is like, ‘I can relate to that,’ then I feel like they have some sort of community with that person.”

The Open hits the home stretch

2009-10-26T05:33:04Z

We are all writers here at The Sacramento Press, so we understand the concept of "pushing the deadline." Writers are born procrastinators.

But time is running out to enter the The Sacramento Press Pro-Am Journalism Open - it ends this Saturday!

If you post your story before midnight on Halloween, you will be eligible for some great prizes, including a weekend at Squaw Valley (with dinner at Plump Jack). We're offering prizes from $100-500 for the best contributions to the site, with other prizes including custom reporters' kits, complete with a Sacramento Press-branded digital voice recorder.

But this isn't just about prizes - those are to get your attention, and award good work.

The Sacramento Press is about something bigger. Starting conversations - and keeping them going.

The conversation starts with your story. You can write about nearly anything, as long as it is about people, places, ideas, conflicts and events in the Sacramento area. The idea is to get residents to write about the things that concern all of us - or perhaps just a few of us.

The more local, the better.

Come join us at The Sacramento Press in reinventing journalism in a way that serves the ordinary citizen in difficult times.

And do it this week! Visit sacramentopress.com/open for all the details about the Sacramento Press Journalism Open.

Stepping Out In Midtown: Beyond the Valet of the Dilettante

2009-10-26T02:58:15Z

Three young women navigated the west sidewalk of 18th Street last Friday evening. The one in front says to her friends behind her, "Last time we were down here, I was thinking I might like to live here." The Friday night scene was crackling, with loud music filling the air and cars filling the streets.

"Yeah," says her friend, "but you'd need a place with a driveway. There's actually a lot more of them than I thought." The third woman says, "You wouldn't have much of a back yard."

The trio crossed 18th Street at Capitol and stopped to reclaim their car from the valet. The street parking or East End Parking Garage may have been closer to whichever business they were coming from, but the valet represents the convenience and perceived safety that many local visitors opt for.

Even those who think that they "might like to live here," bring their suburban expectations with them. "You'd need a place with a driveway." Or you'd need a place in Midtown that was not overrun with too many businesses, which are given too many parking waivers, so that rightful residential street parking becomes impossible.

"You'd need a place with a driveway," or a place with parking provided where it historically has been in Midtown -- in the alley. "You wouldn't have much of a back yard." Traditionally, Midtown residences have deep front porches and shallow green setbacks, that match the others on the block, enough to catch the Delta breezes. In the back is a deeper yard, many with a parking garage at the alley. The deep lots and alleys provide a buffer to the overimpaction of bars and restaurants surrounding them.

Many businesses move into Midtown and immediately want parking waivers, so that they don't have to meet the parking requirements that their business is legally responsible for. This impacts the street parking that is available for residents and other businesses. The overuse of parking waivers and the dependence on valet parking as a solution to Midtown's parking woes, actually exacerbate the problem.

Valet parking reinforces the attitude that patrons need to park as close to the door of their destination as possible. It reduces the number of people who are parking on the street or in public parking garages and walking a few blocks.

Valet parking perpetuates the illusion that it is not safe or realistic to look for parking further from the door and walk. Yet, that's what the displaced residents have to do, when visitors, valets and restaurant/bar employees fill up the nearby parking.

More people walking on the streets encourages more people walking on the streets. It also increases public safety, where the valet service does not. Better lighting and signage at the available and inexpensive public lots will also encourage more people to use them.

The more transit options that are available, the more lighting that is provided, the more that people see others walking around Midtown and the more that public parking garages are well lit, affordable and highly visible; the more new visitors may broaden their expectations of what their Midtown experience -- or even living here -- has to offer.

photos: Marion Millin

Old City Cemetery Lantern Tours

2009-10-25T22:37:42Z

The tales told during the Old City Cemetery's annual Lantern Tours sound like they were pulled from today's headlines: dead prostitutes, drunks, suicides, gunfights, couples killed for their money, an estranged husband ordering a contract hit on his wife. Many folks murdered because of greed, love, and jealousy.

This past Friday and Saturday nights, costumed volunteers dressed authenticly as they told the tales of the cemetery's notable residents who roamed our area over one hundred years ago.

Their ghosts roamed among us as we headed deep into the cemetery under the moonlight.

Reserve your tickets now for 2010 Lantern Tours. This year's tours sold out quickly.

Visit: http://www.oldcitycemetery.com/

Photos | Kati Garner

Ask Officer Michelle - Noisy Neighbors Offer Too Much Information!

2009-10-25T15:53:11Z

Posted by concerned10

Hi,
Can anything be done about noisy, rude neighbors? I live in an apartment complex, and my neighbors are EXTREMELY rude. They have loud parties in the middle of the week. Last night/this morning (wed/thurs) they were blasting their music super loud and screaming. It was about 2am, and they were actually screaming. It was just so ridiculous. But it didn’t stop there. About an hour later (around 3am) they starting having sex. And it sounded like more than two people, by the way. And they were having sex VERY loudly. Like they were trying to do it loud enough for everyone to hear. There are young children who live in this complex!! It was just so blatantly rude and disrespectful. Can anything be done about this? I’m not some party pooper or anything. Partying is fine as long as it’s not disturbing the neighbors. I’m afraid to walk over there and ask them to stop. They seem like the type would try to retaliate or something. Can I call the police? Will they do anything about it? If the police did get involved, would I be able to remain anonymous? I’m really stressed. What can be done about this?

Dear concerned 10,

It sounds like you know a little more about your neighbors than you want to know. Fortunately for you, you have some leverage. Yes, you certainly can call the police for a noise complaint. You would tell the dispatcher the same concerns that you told me, ie., the children in the building, the ongoing problem and the fact that it is 3:00 in the morning. You can stay anonymous. If you sign a citizen’s arrest, they would be cited on the spot. Otherwise, officers give a warning. If the police have to return subsequent to the original call for the same reason, they will be cited.

The best course of action would be for you to call your landlord. Explain to them what is going on. If the police are called, there is a little more sense of urgency as well as a record of the occurrence. Speak to a few of your other neighbors, especially the ones with children, to see if they are as concerned. There is power in numbers. If you unite and each of you contact your landlord, he or she would be negligent in they didn’t do anything. I’m certainly sorry that you have to endure such drama.

Officer Michelle

Sacramento County Sheriff Approving More Concealed Weapons Permits

2009-10-25T06:33:53Z

Sacramentans are arming themselves in increasing numbers, statistics from the Sacramento County Sheriff reveal.

Applications approved by the sheriff to carry a concealed weapon have increased more than 500 percent from 2008, statistics show. By September 30, the department had approved 37 applications to carry a concealed weapon, compared with six approved applications in 2008.

The sheriff also has been denying applications in increasing numbers: 25 applications were denied by September 30, compared with 10 permit denials in 2008. Overall, the sheriff had approved or denied 62 concealed weapon permits by October, nearly four times as many as had been processed through 2008.

Earlier this year, Sheriff John McGinness said he would consider issuing more concealed weapons permits as the Sheriff’s Department faced steep budget cuts that would lay off hundreds of deputies. “I have to be open to the potential that there will be more people in need of the ability to protect themselves as individuals," he said in May.

Since May, the sheriff’s budget has been cut by $39 million and 122 deputies have been laid off. McGinness has not responded to requests for comment on the concealed weapon permit statistics.

Sam Parades, executive director of Gun Owners of California, said the figures show a positive trend. “Concealed weapons permits holders are the most law-abiding citizens in the state of California,” he said. “Going from six to 36 is nice, but it’s really not enough. … We think that Sheriff McGinness needs to contemplate issuing more permits, especially because they all admit they’re going to have to take deputies off the street.”

Sacramento resident Geri Crawford said the statistics are a sign of the times. “I think a lot more people are interested in protecting themselves,” she said. “In general, people are more fearful now because of the Sheriff’s Department layoffs.”

Amanda Wilcox of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence said the numbers are disturbing. “More CCW permits, which would result in more loaded hidden guns in public, would not make us safer and could actually increase gun violence in Sacramento County,” she said via e-mail. “There are many documented crimes and misdeeds by permit holders.”

The Brady Campaign released a study in June that said concealed weapon permit holders killed 51 people, including seven police officers, from May 2007 to April 2009. The Gun Owners Foundation, however, counters that information with data from a 1997 study sponsored by the Department of Justice that found guns are used 1.5 million times per year for self defense.

The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors recently cut the sheriff’s budget an additional $987,000, but the sheriff has stated that the cuts will not result in more deputy layoffs.

At the Capitol: Lights On

2009-10-22T23:44:08Z

There was lots of fun and action during the second annual Lights On Afterschool celebration on the south steps

of the Captiol building today as participating schools "strutted" their stuff, showing the many ways students have

benefitted from the program.

The program offers an alternative to children that would be returning home from school at a time when their parents

are not there becaue of their work schedule.

The event highlighted the creativity and energy of the kids using the program.

On October 22, 2009 the Nation will celebrate Lights on Afterschool. In New York, the Empire State Building

will be lit up for the third consecutive year in honor of Lights on Afterschool. This year, for the first time, city

officials in Los Angeles will light the historic Lindbergh Beacon atop City Hall, so that national landmarks on

both coasts will be lit up in celebration of after school programs. California leads the nation with over 1,000

celebrations.

DeVon Bryant, Boys and Girls Club of Sacramento, helped the Twin Rivers

Unified School District raise the banner at their display booth. The Boys

and Girls Club has four after-school sites in that school district.

Jack O'Connell, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, holds the "After School Champion" award presented

to him by Gordon Jackson, Director of Learning Supports Division, CA Dept. of Education.

Eigth grade student Melanie Sanders and high school student, Jaled Love received "After School Excellence" awards.

Trao Thao and Kelly Stowers received "After School Committment" awards.

Members of the Youth Guitar Performance, associated with the Boys and Girls Club of Sacramento and the Teichert

Branch, strummed the the strings for the audience.

Members of the Cedar Lane Elementary performed hip hop.

Students from Johnson Park and Arvboga Elementary Schools in Marysville

demonstrated what they've learned in martial arts.

California leads the Nation with registered Lights on Afterschool Celebrations!

California has over 1050 registered celebrations, over 400 more celebrations

than any other state.

Photos | Kati Garner

(My sister, Leslie Garner, is on staff with Sacramento START, a participant in

today's event.)

Sacramento City College Professor Aids Students in Understanding War.

2009-10-22T17:39:36Z

Sacramento City College psychology professor Tom Bruce delivered an insightful speech to students defining what war is and the psychological reasoning behind it Oct. 13 in Rodda Hall North 228.

The event brought to light that the term war has been diluted and disfigured to such an extreme that it is inappropriately used on a frequent basis.

“We have watered down the definition of war to the fact that so we now have a war on obesity and so soon enough we are going to have drive-by shootings by Weight Watchers,” said Bruce, while demonstrating how the term would sound if used appropriately. “Back in the ’60s they had a war on poverty and one of the jokes at the dinner table was ‘Who’s got the hand grenades because we have a war against poor people.’”

Immediately after cracking the joke to the approximately 40 baffled students in attendance he discussed what differentiates a war from other forms of conflict.

“War is one of those words that is completely venerable to misuse [and] to have a war, you must have a number of factors; total mobilization of resources and personal, not just a few people but everyone has to be prepared to fight,” Bruce said. “And two it can not be stopped once it gets started and only ends when fought out till its ultimate conclusion—total capitulation of one and the complete triumph of the other; thus, the losing side is vulnerable to whatever the victor wants to do.”

Bruce also presented research demonstrating that 64 percent of the 590 societies throughout 7,000 years of human history were heavily warlike and only 36 percent weren’t warlike. Bruce pointed out that this is somewhat reflected in languages.

“In several languages there exist many forms of the word hate and only one word for love.”

And although society is aggressive and has conflict, Bruce pointed out that people should also focus on trying to achieve the opposite of war.

“I know this is about the psychology of war but I’m drawn more toward the psychology of peace, which we all should,” Bruce said.

Due to the fact that the speech was scheduled within a one-hour timeframe, Bruce briefly touched on the psychological research from the early 1800s to Freud, without including research done post-World War II. But nonetheless students thought the speech was a success.

“More than anything, the speech made wonder what else he would have said and made me want to attend his classes next semester,” said Dolores Vera, a women studies major. “His main point was simple and that we, as a human society, love to hate and that peace and conflict go hand in hand.”

The event was organized by Sacramento City College political science professor Paul Frank in order to help aid students in his international relations class and those interested in learning more about the psychology of war. Frank said the outcome of the speech was still a success despite the lack of time.

“ I still believe students got a lot out of this presentation and if nothing else, it wetted their appetite to take a class with him,” Frank said. “He think he [Bruce] was trying to get students to think very critically about war and to question weather war is a valid tool in politics. I don’t now if this was his objective but the language and examples he used leaned in that direction.”

Bruce finalized his incomplete presentation with a quote from Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes.

"Folks, I'm telling you, birthing is hard and dying is mean- so get yourself a little loving in between."

MURPHY-ROBINSON, SACRAMENTO-LOCAL ARTIST SPEAKS

2009-10-22T16:29:13Z

She is best known for her controversial interpretations in her charcoal and pastel drawings.

Drawings of her daughter Emily are some of her most famous works of art.

One could only imagine where her inspiration comes from. But imagine no more.

On Oct. 15 Sacramento-local artist, Annie Murphy-Robinson, spoke at American River College in the Fine & Applied Arts Area, on how she’s made it so far from her days as just an under graduate student to being the accomplished person that she is.

“In the beginning I was by far mediocre, but after not giving up I just kept getting better and better,” Murphy-Robinson said.

There’s a type of rawness that comes from her drawings that makes them so much different from everything else in the art-scene.

“Have you seen her drawings?” asks American River College student, Aaron Simmons, “they look just like photos; they look so real.”

The realness of her drawings is not the only impact that is made in them – there is also the symbolic meaning behind her interpretation.

“They’re power images not glamour shots,” American River College Art Professor, Joy Bertinuson, said.

The rest of the approximated 50 people who attended the event had nothing negative to say about Murphy-Robinson or her artwork. It was a night of appreciation.

One can find her drawings at B. Sakata Garo on 20th St. in Midtown Sacramento until Oct. 31.

While Murphy-Robinson still continues to draw in her free time, she is currently a high school arts and ceramics teacher.

Safe Ground Now!

2009-10-22T08:35:02Z

The homeless are speaking out against the city’s closure of tent city. On Tuesday, Oct.13, The City Council’s weekly meeting was overrun by homeless people calling for safe ground.The first big storm of the season had just hit the Sacramento area. In fact it was still rainingwhen the meeting was taking place.

The City Council meets every week and anyone can attend. At the beginning of every meeting there is an allotted amount time for citizens to address The City Council. The homeless people of Sacramento did just that.There were about 10 homeless people sitting in the front row and each of them addressed The City Council for 2 minutes each.

Many homeless had taken up residence in an open field north west of downtown Sacramento. It was coined tent city. Recently tent city was closed off and the peoplestaying there were told to move.

The question many of these people had was where can we stay that is safe?

“I have a solution, let us stay in the prison at night, if being homeless is a crime then takeus to prison. We’ll clean up after ourselves, we’ll be nicer than the people you have in there rightnow.” a homeless man said.

Each person who came up to the podium asked for safe ground. One of the youngestpeople involved in the safe ground said he had been in the hospital 3 times in the last week because of complications from living on the street.

“I used to be a farm worker before I was on the street, it floods every 3 years. We’ll beflooded out. You’ll have people dying of frostbite.” another homeless man said.

Even a lady who didn’t intend to talk about the issue of safe ground said, it is our responsibility and we are our brothers keeper.

After the opening comments the city council went back to business as ususal. The first issue to was attendance for the 2008 and 2009 school year. The Attendance Center is a program that was started to help youth that were missing school. The program is working proponents said. Mayor Kevin Johnson wanted to see more proof before he allotted more money to the program.

“The Attendance Center helps reduce crime in the area.” The lead proponent said.

Next time you’re free on a Tuesday afternoon around 6 p.m. you should attend a Sacramento City Council meeting. I was shocked that many of these issues are going on around us. These people aren’t asking for change, they’re asking for a place to stay that is dry. As one of the homeless speakers said, “we’re not animals.”

Revisionists Deny Holocaust

2009-10-22T07:50:40Z

Twenty years ago, historical revisionists began claiming the Holocaust had never happened. But to a survivor of the death camps, it was a tangible reality that meant a change in her life.

When Elane Geller heard that history was being rewritten, that some people claimed the Holocaust never happened, it compelled her to begin sharing her story. At 73, Geller now tours the country discussing her personal experiences in the concentration camps.

“I could not let revisionists change my history,” Geller said. “I want people to know what happened to me and thousands of others at the hands of the Nazis,” Geller said.

Geller spoke at Sacramento City College on Sept.15 to a group of approximately 30 people gathered in the Cultural Awareness Center.

Victoria Henderson Cultural Awareness Center, Coordinator said after spending the day with Geller.

“You don’t meet a stranger when you meet her [Geller].”

Geller was imprisoned at Bergen-Belsen at the same time as Anne Frank, and although they never knew each other, Geller says she now speaks for Frank and all of the souls lost during that grave historical period.

Geller told of her time in the prison camps, how she survived in the concentration camp by learning to sing songs in the language of the other prisoners, and in their appreciation she was given food.

“I know that they needed the food more than I did but I am not ashamed for what I did to survive,” Geller said.

Even after all that she has experienced--being imprisoned and losing most of her immediate family to the Holocaust—she says she still feels the obligation to leave the world slightly better than she found it.

According to Geller, there are approximately 350,000 Holocaust survivors still living today, but the exact number may never be known. The average age of a survivor is 83. On average 100 Holocaust survivors die each day. At this rate, in 10 years survivors will cease to exist, and she feels compelled to tell her story before this occurs.

City College student Lisa Linares Woodward said she came out a better person after listening to Geller’s presentation.

“What I got from Elane’s message and story is simple: Appreciate life and respect for all.”

Obama's campaign manager speaks at Mondavi Center

2009-10-22T07:33:21Z

Barack Obama’s campaign manager attributed the campaign’s success to a belief in the American people, a willingness to defy convention and a long-term commitment to strategy and message in a speech Oct. 5 at the UC Davis Mondavi Center.

“We trusted people to make the difference in our campaign,” David Plouffe said in his speech, “The Obama Phenomenon: What’s Next?”

Because people don’t trust the media as much as they used to, Plouffe said, human relationships are becoming increasingly important.

“We essentially created our own television network of people,” Plouffe said.

Students and young people played an important role in this, he said, partially because they don’t often speak out or take action in politics. So when they do, we listen more closely.

“We really need you to stay on the ball,” he said, encouraging young people to use their talents in whatever area they can, whether or not it’s in politics.

Plouffe also credited the campaign’s success to a willingness to defy conventional methods of campaigning.

Plouffe said they believed they could win by changing the electorate—by convincing people who don’t usually vote to do so. Plouffe said that they didn’t go to all of the traditional fundraisers because it’s the traditional electorate that attends those.

Pursuing issues such as health care, energy and international relations, Plouffe said, displays a continuance of this nontraditional approach. Traditionally, he said, many presidents would push these issues to the side until the economic crisis was over, but Obama wants to deal with them right away.

“It was interesting to see the connections between the campaign and how he sees (the administration) carrying on those principles,” said audience member Andrea Weiss.

Plouffe also discussed the campaign’s commitment to message and strategy, which he said they didn’t change whenever a new pole came out. Now, as president, Obama still doesn’t worry too much about polls, Plouffe said, because he’s found them to be of little importance in the long run.

“It was inspiring to hear that he’s not discouraged,” audience member Cheryl Demas said.

Approximately 1150 people attended the speech, according to Mondavi Center Director of Marketing Rob Tocalino.

School Board meeting and the issues brought up

2009-10-22T07:27:46Z

The Sacramento City School District held a board meeting on 10-15-09 at Kennedy high school in which many issues that the school district is facing for the year were discussed in a public forum.

The big issue at the board meeting revolved around the hours being to cut to instructional aides who work with special needs children. The aide’s hours are being cut from 6 hours to 5 hours. Some parents were extremely upset about the cuts. One parent Rebekah Norris whose daughter has been going to school for almost 14 years expressed her frustration over the cuts. Ms. Norris said “the budget cuts have put her special needs daughter safety at risk.”Her concerns were of such things as bathroom duties and in the classroom. Ms. Norris shared a story in which her daughter got lost looking for the bathroom and she said “it wouldn’t have happened if someone was there to help her daughter.” The instructional aides were upset because the special needs kids weren’t going to be getting enough help with the cuts to the hours. One instructional aide Emily Barajas said “271 instructional aides had their hours lost hours.” The hours were being cut from 6 to 5 hours. Ms. Barajas said “that her and the other instructional aides feel underappreciated and want their hours restored.”

Another issue that was brought up at the board meeting was H1N1 virus and the precautions that are being taken. Superintendent and board secretary Jonathan Raymond said “the district has implemented a hand washing policy to combat the H1N1 virus.” There had only been a minimal amount of cases of H1N1 cases so far this school year but they were prepared for more cases to come as we move farther along into the winter and flu season.

The census count which will occur early next year was brought up by the board during the meeting. The board members all emphasized the importance that everyone be counted for the census next year. If California gets an accurate count next year not only will the schools get more money but California will be able to keep its congressional seat. If California doesn’t have an accurate count next year we will lose our congressional seat for the first time in over 100 years. It has never happened to California yet either. Board Member Diana Rodriquez said “Being counted in the census is everybody’s constitional right. The census will go out in March and will be counted on August 1, 2010.

The meeting itself concluded with the approval of the minutes and was the closed. The school district faces many issues this from the H1N1 to budget cuts that have lead to the hours of instructional aide’s hours being cut. They have many obstacles ahead of them including tuff decisions such as the budget but these things hopefully will improve in the near future,

Johny Cupcakes

2009-10-22T07:15:03Z

About 13 years ago a boy named Johnny Earle made his first step into the business world. Earle grew up in Massachusetts where he spent most of his time thinking of new ways to make money. At a very young age Earle decided that he would never be a 9–5 kind of guy. “Growing up as a kid, I’d always notice my mom being stressed and bummed out about her long tiring job, and I always knew I would never work somewhere I hated.” Earle said. With his young entrepreneurial mentality Earle has managed to launch his career to new heights, which includes employing his mother, father, sister, and closest friends. On Thursday October 18th Earle spoke at Sacramento State’s University Ballroom to approximately 300 people. He talked about his successful clothing line, how it started, and the direction he wants it to take. “Johnny is a genius. He knew what he wanted and went for it, “audience member Megan Calhoun said. In 2000 Johnny Earle dropped out of college deciding it just wasn’t for him. Earle started designing pins while working part-time at a silk screen shop and at a record store called Newberry Comics. It was a decent size chain of stores, which he was able to sell his pins through. It was while working at the record store the name Johnny Cupcakes was given to him “Im not sure if he gives the best advice when it comes to business strategy, but I do think he has made extremely wise choices and turned himself into one of the most interesting self made multi-millionaires of our time,” audience member Derek Martin said.
“I thought it would be funny to make a couple random shirts that said ‘Johnny Cupcakes’ on them for the fun of it. So I did,” Earle said. This started off as a joke and immediately developed a following of people that were amused and curious about these “Johnny Cupcakes” shirts. Soon people were craving these humorous shirts and ordering them like hotcakes. “Before I knew it the trunk of my beat up 89 Camry was my new meal ticket,” Earle said. In 2004 Earle did his first trade show which although expensive proved to be not only quite lucrative, but a huge leap in his future as a young business man. Companies like Nordstrom’s, Bloomingdales and Urban Outfitter’s all offered to sell the Johnny Cupcakes line in their stores. It wasn’t until the last day of the show that Earle looked around and saw a bunch of people all wearing the same shoes he had on. “I don’t like having something that everyone else has,” Earle said.
It was then he decided to rip up all of the pre orders for his shirts and decided to keep his company small and personal. Earle knew that the key to longevity was not to be what everyone wears.
“Little details are what big companies skip over because they aren’t concerned with the small things,” Earle said.
Earle has his own online store and has opened 2 of his own shops, 1 in Boston and the other in Los Angeles. Earle plans to eventually open more shops and expanding his brand to include footwear, sunglasses and accessories. This is just the beginning of the Cupcake Empire. “My way is not the right way, but it’s what worked for me,” Earle said.

Sacramento City College Discusses Columbus Day

2009-10-22T07:08:21Z

Most people just want a day off. They could careless about the historical impact Christopher Columbus made on the people already here.
According to Pete Bassofin, who researched the “History of Columbus Day” insert in the Oct. 12 issue of the Sacramento Bee, the first New World recorded observance of Columbus Day was New York City in 1792. It celebrated the 300th anniversary of Columbus’ landing in the Bahamas. The same research says that Italian Americans urged President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to proclaim Oct. 12 as Columbus Day.
The only historical background people learn about in grade school is the rhyme “Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492” and that he sailed from Spain under the patronage of the Spanish monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella.
But a panel discussion on Oct. 12, 2009 in the City College Cultural Awareness Center showed that others are more concerned about Columbus’ “discovery” of America and its historical impact on the Native Americans.
The panel included several City College professors and the audience was filled with their students. Overall, 82 people showed up to participate in the panel discussion, according to Monica Souza, the student assistant at the Cultural Awareness Center.
Though the topic was approached by many different views, the consensus was that Columbus should not be held up as a hero. “Contact [with Columbus] is fatal,” said John Takanikos-Quinones, City College history professor, during the panel discussion.
The main point of the discussion was that Christopher Columbus did not discover America, but that he encountered it. Everyone seemed to want to know how you can discover someone who didn’t know that they were lost.
It is believed that Columbus’ discovery of America was an extreme case of ethnocentrism, or a belief that one’s culture is more important than that of another. In 1492, Spain’s last colony broke from Spain.
Before Columbus, there was a time when it was believed that the Earth was the center of the universe. This seems to be a very extreme case of ethnocentrism.
The religious beliefs is another reason why Columbus “discovered” America. Spain was a Catholic country during the 15th century and the Native Americans were not. Also at this time was the height of the Inquisition, a time when the Catholic church was trying to eliminate all other religions through conversion or death.
The Bible says that people are descendents of Adam and Eve. Columbus and his contemporaries could not fathom how their predecessors could traverse the ocean to the New World. Did they believe that their ancestors did not have any sort of boats? Was it because it was believed by the world over during their ancestors’ times that the world was flat?
Soon the discussion was derailed by a discussion about whether or not people are animals. During the 15th century, the Spanish supposedly believed that the natives were not people because the natives were not Catholic.

Johnny Cupcakes

2009-10-22T06:48:02Z

Johnny Cupcakes Hard News Lead Rough Draft

A 26 year old Boston born entrepreneur spoke on October 8 at Sacramento State about how he created his well known clothing line “Johnny Cupcakes,” his own way.

“My way is not the right way, but it’s what worked for me,” Johnny Earle said.

This young entrepreneur spoke to about 300 people in the University Union Ballroom at Sacramento State, about how he wanted to help his stressed out mother by thinking of ideas to work for himself.

“I really thought it was cool how Johnny went from selling lemonade, candy, tricks, and pranks in high school, to now owning his own clothing line,” audience member Hannah Main said.

After graduating high school, Earle gave college a try. After a few weeks, he dropped out, and put his mind back to thinking of ways he could work and benefit for himself.

“I designed pins and buttons for bands and businesses. I made random designs and sold them at hardcore shows and shops, “Earle said.

Along with designing and selling pins, Earle worked a part time job at a record shop called “Newbury Comics.” Little did he know, one of the many nicknames given by his coworkers, was going to be the inspiration for his first t-shirt in his well known indie clothing line.

“Wearing my Johnny Cupcakes t-shirt to work caused quite the stir up. Not only did everyone I worked with want a t-shirt, but most of the customers wanted one as well,” Earle said.

Immediately after ordering his first shipment of t-shirts for coworkers, customers and friends, Earle noticed how word about his t-shirts were getting around.

“I never realized how powerful word of mouth was, until Johnny explained how news of his t-shirts got around town,” inspired follower, Michael Marjama said.

Sooner or later, Earle found himself devoting all his time and efforts in to new designs, and ways to sell his t-shirts. His niche began by poking fun at pop culture and replacing popular icons with cupcakes.

“At the time, skulls and crossbones were all over the place, so I thought it would be funny to replace the skull with a cupcake,” Earle said.

After some time of touring with bands, and selling his t-shirts, Earle was offered the idea of selling his clothing line at fashion tradeshows where thousands of buyers travel to pick up the hottest new brands for their shops and antiques, and at everyone’s amazement, Earle’s line caught the eye of some of the most successful mainstream stores.

Despite a number of business offers, Earle decided to stick to what he knew, and stay in business with himself. Taking this risk paid off. Still to this day, Earle’s t-shirts are a dominate part of today’s fashion culture, making him the young multimillionaire entrepreneur he is today.

Who is Christopher Columbus?

2009-10-22T06:41:37Z

On October 12, 1492, Christopher Columbus set foot in America for the first time. For some, this date commemorates the birth of a civilization; for others, it symbolizes the beginning of a race. Many, however, also see this date as the start of a 500-year-old occupation, during which the indigenous people of America have suffered many losses. During the speech that was held on October 12, 2009 in the Cultural Awareness Center at Sacramento City College, the speakers discussed the political science, ethnic studies, and why should or shouldn’t Columbus Day be considered a federal holiday.
“Columbus doesn’t deserve credit for discovering America because natives had lived here for years.

The natives became his slaves, and he forced them to look for gold for him,” said Kayren Ndirangu, an upset Sacramento City College student who debated with the speakers.

The panel also talked about the history which led up to the consideration of Columbus Day as a federal holiday. According to many of the speakers, Theodore Roosevelt declared October 12 Columbus Day in honor of the day Christopher Columbus’ expedition neared North America.

“Columbus brought things from Europe (Columbian Exchange), like livestock, crops, and customs that we didn't have here in America before,” said Martin Huynh a Sacramento City College student who attended the event.

“Approximately 82 students and staff attended the event to hear both sides of the discussion,” said Monica Souza, the cultural Awareness student assistant.

Even though the event was a great turn out, Columbus Day is still crossed off state holiday list.

Cupcakes comes to Sacramento

2009-10-22T06:29:57Z

On October 8th a long snaking line full of people wrapped around the University Union at Sacramento State University. Anticipation filled the crowd as they waited patiently to fill the Union Ballroom. Thirty minutes had passed since the presentation was scheduled to start and people were still pouring into line wearing shirts decorated in cupcakes.

As a young boy Johnny Earle sold pranks and candy to other students in his classes. As a young man he sold silk screened t-shirts and pins to bands and costumers of a local record shop he worked at. Today as a 26 year old man he makes millions selling unique shirts and other clothing to people all around the world.

“Although Earle is not at all a typical business man, he can teach us all something about how he ran his business, and why it worked for him,” audience member Erika Reed said.

Earle does not work a 9-5 type job, wear suits and ties or have a corner office on the top if a tall building. He is a college dropout and has great pride in how he made his millions his own way.

“My way is not the right way, but it’s what worked for me,” Earle said.

At an open seminar on Sac State’s campus about 300 people attended the presentation by Earle about his clothing line, life and accomplishments.

At a young age Earle sold prank gifts and candy for a profit and quickly learned how to make his own money. After high school he attended college for two weeks but quickly realized it was not where he wanted to be. It was then that Earle tried out a new business venture, making 1 inch pins and selling them to hard core shows and shops. In addition to making pins for money he also worked at a silk screening shop and a record store.

While working at the record store Earle’s friends gave him many nicknames such as; “Johnny Coffeecakes”, “Johnny Cupcakes”, and “Johnny Pancakes.” Little did he know that this innocent joke would turn into the inspiration for his most successful business venture.
To play into the jokes of his friends Earle made silk screened t-shirts with the nickname “Johnny Cupcakes” his friends had given him printed on them. He wore them to work and quickly the t-shirts became popular among customers.

“I started this as a joke” Earle said, “But soon so many people wanted them I started to mass produce them and would sell them out of the back of my old Toyota Camry.”

Over time this joke turned into a multi-million dollar company; “Johnny Cupcakes.” Earle was offered remarkable deals to sign his new company with numerous high profile companies such as Nordstrom, Urban Outfitters, and Bloomingdales. Earle realized he wouldn’t sell his company for all the money of the world.

“Little details are what big companies skip over because they aren’t concerned with the small things,” Earle said.

His company which started from a simple joke turned into something much more than that and has many followers today. There were even members of the audience who had the logo tattooed on themselves.

“Although I don’t agree with everything he said, it shows how luck and determination will take you very far in life!” said crowd member RJ Desimone, who was wearing the traditional “Johnny Cupcakes” t-shirt.

Sierra Club Yolano Group Discusses Berryessa Snow Mountain Project

2009-10-22T05:53:37Z

In the heart of quiet, residential west Davis, the management members of the Sierra Club Yolano Group, a close-knit circle of eight elderly friends that represent the Yolo and Solano counties, met on Oct. 8 to discuss the progress to set aside a national conservation area surrounding Berryessa Snow Mountain.

The proposed national conservation area would include 800,000 acres west of Sacramento and north of the San Francisco Bay, with elevations ranging between 2,000 and 7,000 feet. Putah and Cache creeks both wind through the area, greenery to the whole valley. The Sierra Club is one of many groups trying to get this land legal protection.

The land is also home to many animals, including tule elk, black bear, mountain lion, bald eagles, falcons, white pelicans, osprey, bobcat, foxes, and river otters.

“Our goal is to protect this incredible biodiversity,” said Bob Schneider, the Yolano group’s conservation chair.

Getting legal protection for the land would allow it to be monitored and conserved in ways that not only protect the land, but work with the people who currently live and farm in the area and help them become more environmentally conscious. It would limit the building of new houses there and keep the animals as far away from human tampering as possible.

“Any farming is better than houses, because once you pave it, you can’t get it back,” Marc Vayssières, the treasurer of the group pointed out.

Various government agencies and local farmers, however, fear that the change to “national conservation area” might bring more people to the area, thus making the initial problems worse.

“They’re concerned that more people are going to impact their operation, and that’s a valid concern,” said Schneider. “We hope to see this happen late this year or early next year.”

The Yolano group currently has about 1,475 members, but the management group meets on the second week of every month and is completely open to the public.

“Since it’s open to the public, we never know how many people are going to show up,” said Ida Bryan, who is in charge of newsletter distribution. “But we always love to see new faces!”

“We’re one of the most democratic groups around,” joked Schneider. “We discuss issues and discuss issues and discuss issues. Everyone is heard, not everyone agrees, but decisions are always made.”

Johnny Cupcakes

2009-10-22T05:36:32Z

The founder of the indie clothing line “Johnny Cupcakes” said October 8 at Sacramento State University that his successful business developed because he did things “his way”.
“My way is not the right way, but it’s what worked for me.” Johnny Earle said.
Earle spoke to a crowd of approximately 300 people at Sacramento State’s University Union Ball Room about how he doesn’t drink or do drugs, but rather invests his money in his business.
“I grew up around it and it just wasn’t for me. Instead of wasting money on drinks at a bar I would invest everything I earned back into my business.” Earle said.
Unlike most successful business owners Earle did not complete college. After just a few weeks he realized college wasn’t for him. Although he has no regrets about the path he took he knows that going to school wouldn’t have hurt his success.
“If I stayed in school my brand probably would have excelled ten times faster.” Earle said.
After making a shirt with his classic cupcake cross bone emblem and having it catch on locally, Earle took his clothing line on the road and ended up turning down business offers from numerous main stream clothing stores.
“I wouldn’t sell my company for all the money of the world.” Earle said.
Earle’s knack for business started at a young age selling candy and “prank packs”.
“The way Johnny started selling stuff at a young age really shows he had a strong drive to be a successful business man.” Audience member Cody Smith said.
Always seeing his mom unhappy after a long day at a job she didn’t enjoy Earle decided he would never be stuck in the same position. After creating his clothing line not only has he never had to live the same unhappy routine as his mother, but he also employs his family and friends.
“Although I can’t say I learned much about business from Johnny’s speech I can say it was nice to learn about someone successful that shares the same values as me,” Audience member Michael Marsh said.

Elected by people, for the people

2009-10-21T23:51:10Z

If you lived through the African-American Civil Rights Movement, chances are that you never imagined an America where an African-American would be an elected executive official-- let alone the president of the United States. There was a time in the not-so-distant past of the United States when African-Americans were not allowed to share a public bathroom with a white person, let alone join them in the voting booths. The election of an African-American president is no doubt one of the most historic events in the history of the United States.

In a present day America where an African-American president still seemed like something that was completely out of reach, one man realized the power of organization that existed during the Civil Rights Movement and applied that grassroots mentality to one of the best political campaigns in the history of the United States.

President Obama’s campaign manager, David Plouffe, discussed in an hour-long speech on Oct. 5 how he built a grassroots campaign from the ground up in order to create one of the most historic wins in the political past of the United States.

Plouffe spoke to a crowd of approximately a thousand people at the Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts at the University of California, Davis at 8 p.m. The audience, which included some university students, faculty and staff members, filled the hall to hear Plouffe discuss his successful management strategies used in the 2008 presidential campaign.

Plouffe’s dominant focus was President Obama’s acknowledgement that he was running against a Democratic Party front -runner, Hillary Clinton, so it was necessary to have a presidential campaign that was tailored for his odds in the race. Clinton had a solid support system in every state from senators, mayors, governors and other chief political figures Plouffe said.

According to Plouffe, statistically Clinton should have won the democratic vote in every state, so it was critical to build a campaign that targeted an audience that had historically voted republican or that had never voted at all. This tactic, which was part of this grassroots movement, put the power in the hands of volunteers to build his campaign by word-of-mouth. President Obama’s supporters worked in phone banks, went door-to-door, and contributed financial support.

The grassroots movement was critical because people that have very limited political knowledge or interest voted for the president because a relative or friend they trusted told them they should said Plouffe. Plouffe also said the campaign started with an e-mail list of 10 thousand people that grew to 13 million by the end of the campaign.

“One of the reasons why Barack Obama ran for presidency was to engage people back into the political process,” said Plouffe.

Plouffe also spoke about the importance of the consistent message about change that the president had throughout his campaign. The president did not divert from his message despite the skepticism and criticism that he received from his opponents and the media that his rhetoric was too redundant said Plouffe.

One audience member, Mandy Jarvis, said Plouffe was an engaging speaker and it was interesting to attend the speech and know what the campaign team was thinking when they were coming up with their strategy.

“It was interesting to get a behind the scenes look at why they did some of the things they did despite the huge amount of criticism they received. I liked hearing that they went ahead with a grassroots campaign and were able to help the country to see that everyone can have a say in what happens in the government if we take time to participate,” said Jarvis.

Plouffe also had a question and answer session at the end of his speech where he answered a handful of questions from audience members about his strategies. When asked by one audience member if the grassroots movement would continue after the president was elected to push for important issues like healthcare, Plouffe continued to push for political involvement by all Americans as the way towards change.

David Plouffe’s strategies compelled a nation towards making history in the United States and his leadership did not go unnoticed by President Obama. According to the Washington Speakers Bureau, in President Obama’s acceptance speech, he called Plouffe the “unsung hero of this campaign, who built the best political campaign, I think, in the history of the United States of America.”

Community splits over future of Curtis Park Village

2009-10-21T21:07:32Z

In a lively neighborhood-wide gathering rivaled only by the annual flea market, Curtis Park residents on Oct. 6 encouraged and criticized plans to develop Curtis Park Village in the adjacent, long-contaminated Union Pacific Railyard.

Local developer Paul Petrovich, president of the Petrovich Development Company, hosted the community meeting at his Stone Pointe complex on Freeport and Sutterville to explain plans for the development and let residents voice concerns. The atmosphere grew tense as attendees questioned him about everything from toxic-cleanup safety regulations to his taste in public art.

Petrovich's proposal is to create a sustainable community with residential and retail zones. He began working on the project in 2004.

"My plan is to make it look like the railyard never happened," he said.

Many aspects of Petrovich's presentation were met with scoffs and arguments from Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association board members. He said their comments have made the project stronger; at their suggestion he has added smaller residential lots and low-income housing for senior citizens.

Some attendants, however, worried that SCNA's often negative feedback would hinder the project to the point of desertion.

"If they're not careful, he's going to leave it," said Darlene Petkovich, former board member and resident for 62 years. "They're going to get somebody from a far distant land to buy it, and they'll put up whatever they want, and they won't even bother with SCNA."

Before development can begin, Petrovich must clean out the 240,000 cubic yards of soil contaminated with arsenic and lead left over by Union Pacific. He has not yet received permission from the state to dig 20 feet down, seal in the toxins and cover with clean soil — a process that has already begun — but claims it is done regularly.

"Your greatest risk is if I don't do it," he said in response to many safety concerns.

Staying true to his past developments in Sacramento and Davis, Petrovich plans to bring in local businesses and franchises, but several SCNA members expressed concern about the proposed amount of retail space. Petrovich insisted that any less commercial space would make the project financially infeasible.

Neighbors also worried about the increase in traffic. Petrovich cited maps and research claiming that traffic levels would not increase significantly: Small existing streets would rise from 1 car per minute to 1.8 per minute.

"My biggest concern (is) that the fabric of the neighborhood will be changed forever, by the increased traffic and the lack of transit-oriented development," said SCNA president Rosanna Herber, who has lived in Curtis Park for 18 years.

The Sacramento Area Council of Governments approved the plan Wednesday as a "transit-oriented community." The development will easily link to Regional Transit routes and feature bike- and pedestrian-friendly streets, Petrovich said.

Residents interested in continuing the public discourse on the future of Curtis Park Village can attend the SCNA board meeting on Oct. 28 at Sierra 2.

Mayor Johnson - Driving Under the Influence

2009-10-21T05:19:52Z

'People ask the difference between a leader and a boss. The leader works in the open, and the boss in covert. The leader leads, and the boss drives." -- Theodore Roosevelt --

I would love to give Mayor Kevin Johnson the benefit of the doubt and call him a leader. But as time goes by, I see less of a leader and more of a driver.

Heck, with lessons, anyone can drive. With a GPS navigation system of special assistants, a campaign manager, volunteers and a spokesperson it certainly may appear the mayor is leading the way. But even with GPS and a car full of backseat drivers, people have gotten lost.

A GPS navigation system can't prepare Johnson for traffic conditions, debris left in city streets or points of interest that are of concern to residents.

Will the "strong mayor" initiative drive us down a one-way street against traffic, causing a collision? Will we want to be a passenger if the "driver" suddenly begins to drive recklessly or appears intoxicated (full of himself) and is driving under the influence of deceit and trickery? Will we want to be on the road with someone under the influence of special interest?

Should we stand by while the mayor, who could have a suspended license, suddenly begins to drive exceeding speed limits to get to a strong mayor proposal?

Drivers who are not leaders don't always reach their destination. Mayor Johnson appears simply to follow drivers of other cities. He doesn't appear to be a mayor leading the way. We've heard Fresno has the strong mayor charter, Oakland has the strong mayor charter. Many residents in Fresno and Oakland have become hit-and-run victims because of the strong mayor charter as the mayors driving their cities overlook and run down the cities' underprivileged residents.

If Mayor Johnson were driving in the open and giving residents a map with clear directions on the strong mayor proposal before blindly gathering signatures, perhaps he could renew his license without taking another drivers course. If Mayor Johnson showed respect, consideration and courtesy and valued the cars, bikes and pedestrians on and near the road and called community meetings before the proposal was written in stone and before the proposal was taken to the City Council for a vote, perhaps we wouldn't drive now with so many calling out for speed bumps because of unsafe drivers masquerading as leaders.

Our mayor is a driver who appears not to value community input. The strong mayor proposal does not reflect the desires of the community. The strong mayor proposal reflects the desires of the mayor and outside influences. The community was of no value to the mayor until signatures were requested by hit-and-run signature collectors who carried no insurance. Many, if not all, of the paid signature gatherers I spoke with had no knowledge of the petition for which they were gathering signatures.

Traffic control is called out in the form of a Charter Review Commission. After a comprehensive study that listened to drivers, pedestrians and motorists of other cities, it was determined that the strong mayor proposal could be hazardous and cause slippery roads and unsafe driving conditions. But the mayor appears to drive the proposal by any means necessary, through thunders of confusion, rains of deceit and the thick fog of trickery. Now we are left with a measure that CalTrans cannot revise. The strong mayor proposal is written in stone.

Mayor Johnson appears to drive without insurance. Residents have asked but have not been told what specifically he can do with the strong mayor charter that he could not do with the current form of city government. Perhaps we wouldn't mind him going slightly over the speed limit if we knew where he was going. Perhaps we wouldn't call our council members to complain of high speed traffic racing through our neighborhoods to get to a strong mayor proposal, if we had a leader working in the open.

Perhaps if the mayor would appear as a leader and not a boss who simply is following drivers of other cities we wouldn't have to call our representatives and request that the mayor pump his breaks, slow down or get his car (strong mayor proposal) towed for driving with a suspended license, driving under the influence, hit and run, reckless driving and causing so much road rage.

Community members are no longer riding blindfolded with the drivers elected into office. There's been too much propaganda and too many promises that have fallen to the curbside or become road-kill once the politicians' self-absorbed goal is reached.

Sacramento's mayor can drive but can he lead? After all, he is a political adolescent behind the wheel. Motorists cannot dismiss the fact that Mayor Johnson has had some fender benders, causing a collision or two with St. Hope, loaning SAG $25,000 in June without notifying our insurance broker- Eileen M. Teichert, city attorney that he forgave the loan and made it a gift. Mayor Johnson has been known to hit and run and contact his collision specialist attorney to make the problems go away. A mayor without full coverage insurance and no past experience with driving should not expect the public to rush into traffic for a strong mayor proposal.

It seems Sacramento roads are beginning to fill with curves, bumps and debris. The community is expected to trust the mayor not just on highways but now on the freeway as he takes off on a high-speed chase to a strong mayor proposal. We have no idea what the destination is and don't really trust some of his passengers. After all we haven't been told what he can do as a strong mayor that he cannot do under the current charter and we haven't been told if he picked up hitch-hikers or who exactly went along for the ride.

Our view is obstructed as we are told, "People who don't want the strong mayor form of government are afraid of change." Some of us are afraid of collisions by a mayor driving without insurance.

Our mayor appears to disregard others on the road as he races by the council members who we voted into office. The mayor did not consult with experienced drivers, some of whom have lead their districts; he did not value their input. Our mayor appears to disregard pedestrians and did not consult city residents to listen to their desires, or allow them to voice their concerns and offer their input in changing the city's charter. Those opposing the mayor are not consulted to see if there is a charter suitable for the vast majority of residents. It appears that the mayor requests that residents vote "yes" on the strong mayor proposal blindly, in the dark, and without lights or reflectors.

Yes, the mayor will drive with passengers, as he rode with arts liaison Sharon Gerber, to assist with bringing arts to Sacramento. He can be a boss. But he doesn't appear to have the drive to ride in the carpool lane with the community.

As a resident of Sacramento I would not wear a blindfold while a person with no driver training gets behind the wheel and starts racing down the city's streets. I do like Mayor Johnson's energy. I do like the fact that he can charm a crowd. He can be a good boss. But he is new to city government and passed a written test but has not quite passed his driving test nor received his driver's education certificate.

I would like to give the mayor the benefit of the doubt and call him a leader. But right now I see him as a boss. Perhaps I've become frustrated with so many of the drivers whom we elected to drive on our roads. Now the roads have become congested with heavy and dangerous traffic, causing accidents. Now I, too, have road rage.

Rhonda Erwin

Disclosure: I am a community member looking for a leader who works in the open, not a boss working in secrecy. I am looking for a leader who leads, not a boss who drives with so many intoxicated passengers and backseat drivers.

New Helvetia Theatre's "Tick, Tick...BOOM" - Preview, interviews, and photos.

2009-10-20T05:35:31Z

Rehearsal photos by Paul Le and Tony Sheppard – taken at the Artisan, 1901 Del Paso Blvd.

“Tick, Tick…BOOM”
Book, Music, and Lyrics: Jonathan Larson
Script Consultant: David Auburn
Directed by Connor Mickiewicz and Erin island

New Helvetia Theatre officially opens its second full production on Saturday, with previews starting Wednesday, of “Tick, Tick…BOOM.” The show is by Jonathan Larson, who won three posthumous Tony awards and a Pulitzer for “RENT.” I had the opportunity to sit in on a recent rehearsal and it literally had me both laughing and crying uncontrollably (not at the same time).

The timing was also interesting after the recent movie release of Jane Campion’s beautiful “Bright Star,” a film account of the end of the life of the poet John Keats. “Tick, Tick…BOOM” chronicles a period in Larson’s life when he was struggling with little recognition, unsure of his future, just as Keats died prior to his work receiving the acclaim that was later associated with it. Ultimately, Larson died before the first full production of “RENT” and its success has rekindled interest in his other works.

“Tick, Tick…BOOM” stars Tristan Rumery, Nanci Zoppi, and New Helvetia’s Founder and Artistic Director Connor Mickiewicz, who also co-directed the show with Erin Island. Between numbers, I bounced a few questions off Connor, his deserves-to-be-proud mother Erin Mickiewicz, and Music Director and destined-to-be-legendary cabaret impresario Graham Sobelman.

Connor Mickiewicz:

SacPress: “RENT” has become well known through multiple productions from Broadway to High Schools, as well as a film adaptation, but “Tick, Tick…BOOM” is less familiar to most people. Can you explain a little about the show and where it fit in Jonathan Larson’s career?
Connor: He had started developing it before “RENT” and with the success of “RENT” and his subsequent passing – there’s this voyeuristic sentiment that drives through it. This musical could not exist without the success of “RENT” and I think if it had been the other way around and this musical had been produced before “RENT” it would have been a lovely, moving show but I think part of the reason that people are interested in seeing this show is knowing the story of Jonathan Larson and what happened with “RENT” – which is still playing in San Francisco and around the country.

SacPress: So what made “Tick, Tick…BOOM” a good choice for New Helvetia’s second full production?
Connor: One that it’s a three person rock musical – and a Sacramento premiere, which lives up to our mission. And it’s accessible for younger audiences as well as more mature audiences.

SacPress: And part of your mission is to produce shows that are less well known – and this would fit that bill.
Connor: This would fit that bill, definitely.

SacPress: You produced the extremely well reviewed “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” earlier this year, and you got to sit up in the booth and watch every performance, but you are producing, co-directing with Erin Island, and also acting in “Tick, Tick…BOOM” – how has the multitasking experience been different?
Connor: It’s completely different and I was so nervous going into it and just working on the show with Erin and Caitlin [Caitlin Sapunor-Davis], the stage manager, we knew from the beginning that the piece was going to have to be more collaborative because I was going to on stage. So it was almost more like a scene study and the actors, Nanci and Tristan, could suggest something – or if something was not right we would get together rather than them being on the outside. That has made…the show that I had in my mind three months ago is not the same show that we have today and we’re all the better for it. So it’s been stressful but also more rewarding.

SacPress: “Hedwig” may well have been the best reviewed show in town – I don’t think I saw anything that was less than the highest possible rating or commentary. Does that make coming out of the gate the second time easier or does that make it harder?
Connor: For a minute I thought that it was going to be harder – but in the end, the respect that the audience has now for the company from “Hedwig” and from “Celebration” [an earlier one-night, semi-staged production and fundraiser] - that’s what I’m interested in, watching the audience grow and develop. I stopped thinking what the critics are going to say about this production – I don’t know if they could have…or if they can top “Hedwig.” If they do, that’s amazing for us but I’m more interested from this point on in just growing the audience and growing the audience’s trust in the company, more than the critics at this point.

Erin Mickiewicz:

SacPress: What and when was Connor’s first foray into theater?
Erin: I love this story: He played competitive soccer for a number of years and when he was 12, he had to try out every year and he didn’t make and we got the news in the mail and he was devastated. So Kiera [Kiera O'Neil], his older sister, said I’m doing “Music Man” why don’t you do [that] – it’s a children’s theater company. So he did it and that was it, he just fell in love with it.

SacPress: This is a silly question that occurred to me – kids transition from being child actors with varying degree of success, or not. How is the transition for the stage mom – do stage moms ever “grow up” or is it much the same, albeit with less carpooling?
Erin: That’s such a good question [laughs]. Because I was involved before Connor was involved with Kiera mainly and then I was the Director of the Arts of St. Francis High School, so even when my kids weren’t involved I’ve stayed involved. So I have a passion for it myself. It’s a fine line though when to back off and with Connor going professional, with his own company, the whole family has been involved - but we still respect the fact that he has to make decisions that we need to stay out of.

SacPress: With Connor as a fifth generation Sacramentan, what does this mean to you and the family to see him doing this here?
Erin: In Sacramento? Oh, I just love it. Selfishly I love him being back from New York – I love that my other son’s here and he can be part of it – he’s a total jock but he really loves his brother. I think it’s fun for us because we didn’t get to see much of him in New York and I think this is really his calling. He’s always an actor first to me but I really do think he can pull this off.

Graham Sobelman:

SacPress: Your main project for most of the last year has been the cult hit midtown cabaret Graham-A-Rama. That’s on hiatus for a couple of weeks for “Tick, Tick…BOOM” so does this feel like a vacation or like work?
Graham: Work - but I love my job so…. [smiles].

SacPress: You work with a lot of the same people in multiple projects….
Graham: That’s why it doesn’t feel like…well, it’s a job but it’s also hanging out with my friends.

SacPress: How do you balance multiple projects in production and development?
Graham: A very detailed calendar and very little sleep!

The last few questions with Graham were squeezed into an extremely short break in the rehearsal, with about one minute to talk and we were walking back into the theater by the end of the third answer, but they still illustrate one of the secrets to the success of these productions: Not only is this a very talented group of individuals who have the skills and vision to pull these things off with great success, but they are doing what they love with people they love. Not all of us have the opportunity or benefit of a workplace environment like that, but at least we can witness it in action – and it certainly shows in their work.

“Tick, Tick…BOOM”
October 21- November 14
Performance Times:
Thursdays and Fridays at 8 pm, Saturdays at 2 pm and 8 pm
All performances at the Artisan, 1901 Del Paso Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95815
Gallery and café open 1 hour prior to show

Associated links for more information:
New Helvetia Theatre: www.newhelvetia.org
Paul Le’s photography and design: www.paperwhitedesigns.daportfolio.com
Graham-A-Rama cabaret: www.grahamarama.com

Community Theater Renovation

2009-10-20T04:39:41Z

The Sacramento Community Theater has been in use for 35 years and has not upgraded since it’s opening in 1974. The Theater still hosts world-class events but a renovation is needed by adding additional restrooms, concessions, lobby space, and infrastructure to meet the needed of and expectations of today’s audiences and clients. On Tuesday the 20th, the City Council/Financing Authority will accept the current Community Center Theater Renovation Project conceptual design and issue a Request for Qualifications for architectural services to complete the design work. A contract for construction could begin as early as June 2011 and continue work through the summer. The Theater will remain open for each theatrical season (Sept. through June) but closed during the summer months with heavy construction taking place spreading construction over multiple years through the summer of 2014.

The Theater will be financed using bonds from future bonds issued by the City of Sacramento Financing Authority. Bond repayments will come from a $3.00 per ticket where approximately $1 million will go toward the bond payment of $3.7 million annually and the remaining $2.7 million coming from Transient Occupancy Tax and Convention Center User Fee proceeds.

The current renovation will re-configure some existing spaces and add approximately 15,000 new square feet to the building. The total costs of the project are estimated at $40 million with $34 million towards construction and $6 million for design costs.

Beauty is only skin deep.

2009-10-20T01:48:35Z

I've read comments about efforts to revive Sacramento's downtown area. I will admit the comments are impressive. I've read comments about the mayor wanting to bring life to Sacramento. I would love for Sacramento to grow into a big beautiful city. But far too often, elected officials in Sacramento view beauty as skin deep- when ugly is to the bone.

How can you build or put a structure on a weak and deteriorated foundation? Sacramento officials address issues on the surface. It appears elected officials do just enough to paint a pretty picture. Below the surface are the ills of the poor.

Sacramento appears to address homelessness on the surface, shifting people from one area to another. We have to do more than create or develop efforts to make a city appear beautiful.

"Get rid of the bums," someone suggests. But where should we shift them? Sacramento officials have a history of shifting their problems verses significantly addressing them. Sacramento continuously addressed youth violence with efforts of suppresion verses empowerment, opportunity, employment and resources. Sacramento officials appear to address complex problems with simple solutions of suppression and shifting the problem into another area.

Moving the homeless from one area to another will only allow them to remain homeless. Providing them opportunity, employment, empowerment and resources will allow them to become stable. In addressing crime Sacramento officials rely on multi-jurisdictional task force to evict/ move people from the city of Sacramento into the County of Sacramento. I attended a neighborhood meeting and the POP officer said, "Call us, we'll get them evicted and out your neighborhood." I sat in disbelief wondering will you just continue to move them from one house to another, one street to the next, one neighborhood to another, from the County of Sacramento to the City of Sacramento?

Both city and county law enforcement shifts crime by shifting people. People are moved around like mice in a maze. Both city and county elected officials often fail to recognize law enforcement is a deterrent and not a solution. Both city counsel and county supervisors should look beyond the surface and build a foundation to empower the low income residents. Developers can build outer beauty but it takes the efforts of the elected representatives of this city to build and construct inner beauty.

When looking for solutions into Sacramento's homeless problem we can take lessons from the actions, inactions and reactions of how Sacramento officials addressed youth violence. Sacramento, receiving government subsidy funding, has concentrated on saturating areas with multiple low income housing. But fails to contribute funding to place resources within those areas to empower the residents and allow the area to thrive.

We can not simply build low income housing and saturate the neighborhoods with low income residents and not provide opportunities, employment and resources to empower residents. We can not simply shift people from complex to complex, area to area, community to community without laying a foundation of empowerment.

We can't put makeup on the city and call it a day. We can't keep putting botox on issues. We have to go beyond the skin and to the bone to address the ills within our society. The ugly truth is that until we address issues below the surface, all the efforts to revive Sacramento will be in vain. You can't build on a foundation that is ready to crumble. The building will fall and land on the people sleeping nearby. I remember when 19-year old Eric was shot and killed in front of downtown Macy's. It was ugly but after the body was removed, we were back to appearing beautiful--business as usual.

Our mayor attempts to look at "buildings' and city charters of other cities. But what about the people, the poor of those cities? What do we do with the people who are not privileged to wake up with a "Things to do" list, but are underprivileged and awaken to the nightmare of "Battles to Fight" list? What about the ugly reality of the plight of the poor?

How effective is it to revitalize a community's appearance if you don't revive the people? It's like giving life support to the dead. Don't get me wrong. I love the suggestions to revive Sacramento. I can't wait to live in a city that has inner and outer beauty. I only wish we had a mayor who would address the needs of Sacramento's poor as well and as comprehensively as he attempts to address the outer beauty.

If the people living within the community lack resources and opportunities, beauty won't help the city. It seems easy for elected officals to address the beauty. And since the ugly-the suffering, the homelessness, violence...is far too difficult for some elected officials to significantly address they simply address it on the surface- simply shifting people and making things appear beautiful.

We cannot address complex problems with simple solutions or simple-minded officials. Until we address the ugly aspects of our city -- the poor and those affected by violence -- the efforts to revitalize Sacramento will be in vain. Why would we dress a mannequin when real people need the clothing? We all want the same thing: a Sacramento to be proud of. We all want a Sacramento that is safe, where our children can live and play. My concern is, will the efforts be in vain if we simply address the surface beauty and once again ignore the below-the-surface ugly? Should we continue to throw good money after bad money? Mayor Kevin Jonson appears to address the beauty and leave the ugly to fester. By doing so, a division among Sacramento residents begins to widen. I'm not trying to offend. I'm trying to show the ugly in hopes a foundation can be laid for beauty to thrive. I don't want to argue. We really do want the same thing I just want to go deeper- below the surface.

Sacramento will shift people, shift crime, shift pain and address concerns on the surface. But below the surface there is a need to effectively and comprehensively address the plight of Sacramento's poorest residents. Simply finding safe grounds for homeless individuals to move to, is sadly comical, it's like simply putting a pacificer in Maggie Simpson's mouth and allow Bart Simpson to continue to run around and cause havoc. It's simply covering Maggie's mouth and ignoring Maggie's cries of still being without a home. Simply finding safe gounds may be a job well begun, but the job is far from completed.

I was invited to attend a neighborhood association meeting outside my neighborhood. The area received a Weed and Seed Grant. Sacramento used the Weed and Seed grant to shift people out of one area into another area. The Weed and Seed grant is a community-based strategy sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice to "weed out' violent crime and drugs and plant "seed" with human services, including evening programs for youth, after school programs, family activities, and a variety of neighborhood improvement efforts.

Unfortunately, Sacramento officials saw their way to a grant-writer and saw money and not people. They attempted to expand law enforcement and not create a foundation to empower others at-risk of committing violent or drug crimes. Three things occured: 1) grant funding went towards massive suppression and not the needy 2) additional neighborhoods would become in need of the grant funding since it simply moved people from one area to another and failed to plant resources 3) the violence became a cancerous polyp spreading throughout other areas.

Sacramento cannot simply look at what other cities are doing to address homelesness. Especially since Sacramento looked at other cities who received a Weed and Seed grant and failed to duplicate the seeding aspects of the grant. It is concerning when Sacramento officials appear to look at money and not at the people. It is concerning when significant efforts were developed, using a multi-jurisdictional task force, to 'weed' out the people and minimal efforts were made to plant seeds of empowerment. A grant designed in beauty -- weed out and PLANT seeds of empowerment to address violence-- was redirected into another ugly money-making scheme to enhance a department.

Many of us want to see the beauty. Many of us want to see the city revived. Many of us want to see night life and entertainment. But unfortunately so many of us have to live with the ugly. We can't run from it. We can't hide it and all the revitalization efforts won't erase it. So we ask that the city address it. Address the ugly and then let us work together on the beauty.

The ugly truth is often times officials are blinded by money and fail to actually see the people in need. The ugly truth is we can't address homelessness in the same fashion as we have addressed violence by simply shifting people and moving them from one area to another area. The ugly truth is so often the needy are overshadowed by the greedy.

Someone once said it best, 'Beauty is only skin deep, ugly is to the bone."

Rhonda Erwin

Disclosure: A low income resident living within a community divided into victims and suspects. I am transparent: I am not against the mayor. I am against the "strong mayor" proposal as it is written and against elected officials' minimual efforts towards addressing the ugly -- the plight of Sacramento's poor. I am exhausted watching what so many will do for the love of money - and not the love of people. I am exhausted watching so many look to enhance their departments or advance their carreers off the plight of the poor.

Jennifer Strange Trial: Determining Damages

2009-10-18T21:32:06Z

The closing arguments in the case of William Strange et al vs Entercom not only summed up the case for the jury, but presented them with guidelines for determining compensation should they find Entercom liable for the water drinking death stemming from KDND's January 2007 "Hold Your Wii to Win a Nintendo Wii" radio contest.

Sacramento Bee reporter Andy Furillo and KOVR CBS 13 reporter David Begnaud reported that plaintiiff attorney Roger Dreyer is seeking more than $24 million, and plaintiff attorney Harvey Levine is seeking an additional $12 million. They report that Defense attorney Don Carlson told the jury $4.5 million would be more appropriate compensation.

But those broad numbers downplay the detailed instructions given to the jury by the court on how to determine the proper level of compensation. Attorneys are not asking for punitive damages in this case, but rather for economic and non-economic damages for the 2.75 years since Jennifer died and the 51.75 years she would be expected to live.in the future.

First, should the jury find Entercom liable, they must determine the direct economic impact of Jennifer's death on the family. Jennifer was the bigger wage earner in her family, and the jury was given some rather straightforward instructions on determining how much money Jennifer would have contributed to her family's finances had she lived.

Second, the jury was given a much more complicated set of standards established by the court (not the attorneys) by which to determine non-economic compensation. For each of the Plaintiffs, (husband Billy, daughter Jorie, 3, son Ryland, 6, and son Keegan, 13,) the jury must consider compensation for each of the following factors individually: Love, Companionship, Comfort, Care, Assistance, Society, Moral Stewardship, Training, Guidance, and in the case of her husband, Physical Intimacy.

It is pretty simple to calculate how much money Jennifer would have earned had she lived. But how do you put a number on the damage done to a little girl who will never know her mother's love? How do you put a number on the damage done to a little boy who will never have his mother's moral stewardship? Or to a teenager who will never again have his mother's guidance? Or to a husband who will never again know his wife? There are no easy answers to those questions, but those are the questions this jury will likely have to decide.

Dreyer suggested that each of those areas should be compensated between $100,000 to $150,000; Carlson suggested far less compensation for each area.

How much would each one be worth to you?

For full coverage of the trial, please go to www.suewilsonreports.com . To see the Broadcast Blues story and to hear actual audio of the contest, please go to www.broadcastblues.tv .

Great pumpkins and festivals

2009-10-17T23:42:11Z

Today, 25 tons of pumpkins were there for the taking by Sacramento kids. The Antelope Pumpkin Farm, operated by Antelope Christian Center since 2002, aims to put smiles on kids faces. They provided free hayrides, carnival games, face painting, bounce houses, arts & crafts and, of course, a free pumpkin to every child.

In East Sac the Shepard Garden and Arts Center in McKinley Park celebrated its 50th anniversary by holding their fall festival and annual sale, together, this weekend.

There's hundreds of arts and crafts, interesting plants, holiday decorations, lights, tons of books, and lots more miscellaneous stuff. The sale continues through tomorrow.

Where: Shepard Garden and Arts Center, 3330 McKinley Park Blvd., Sacramento

Open: Sunday 10am-5pm

Admission: Free

Further info: (916) 264-8800

Photos | Kati Garner

City Charter Review Committee Final Town Hall Reveals "Gordian Knot"

2009-10-17T21:58:11Z

Sierra II in Curtis Park was the location for the ninth and final Town Hall Meeting of the City of Sacramento Charter Review Committee.

The crowd of approximately 45 people was on the Baby Boom-plus end of the generational scale. It included members of the public, neighborhood representatives and former, current and candidate public officials, from the Central City, Curtis/Land Park, Oak Park and the South Area.

The City Charter legally and procedurally defines the City of Sacramento and its operations. Kevin Johnson's Strong Mayor Initiative, which would dramatically change the City Charter, will be on the June 2010 ballot.

Sacramento was founded with a City Charter in 1858. In 1921, during the Progressive Era, in response to rampant corruption, Sacramento changed to the current strong manager/council system to achieve more accountability. Ironically, the current Strong Mayor Initiative proponents have campaigned that accountability is not possible under the current system.

In light of Johnson's own proposals for redefining the checks and balances of power, a public process of charter policy analysis is appropriate. The City Council appointed the Charter Review Committee to explore and recommend potential changes to the City Charter.

The Strong Mayor Initiative would change the City Charter in these areas: the Mayor's role, (add) veto power, appointment of the City Manager, appointment of Charter officers (City Clerk, City Treasurer, City Attorney), appointment of Department Directors and 800+ non union employees and budgetary powers.

The Charter Review Committee recommendations are for changes in two of those areas:

The City Manager -- currently appointed by the City Council -- would be appointed by the Mayor.

The city budget, currently submitted to Council by the City Manager, would be based on the Mayor's policy priorities, reviewed and modified by the Council and developed into a proposed budget by the City Manager. The City Council and Mayor would have until June 30th each fiscal year to approve the budget.

Under the Strong Mayor Initiative, the Mayor would propose the annual budget, a Council Majority would approve the budget and the Mayor would have veto power over Council's changes to the budget. The Mayor's budget would take effect in 30 days, if the Council had not voted to override his veto by that deadline.

Soon after the public input process has been completed, the Charter Review Committee will present final recommendations to the City Council. The Council will review the recommendations and receive additional input from the public. Then, the council will vote on whether -- or not -- to place the Charter Review Committee recommendations as a measure on the June 2010 ballot.

If the City Council decides to put the Charter Review Committee final recommendations on the June 2010 ballot and if they are approved by the voters, those changes would be effective in Nov. 2012, with the next mayoral election.

If Kevin Johnson's Strong Mayor Initiative passes, those changes will take effect 45 days after the election is certified.

Even if the Council does vote to put these recommendations on the ballot, the public will still have the option to NOT vote for any changes to the City Charter.

The materials provided at the Town Hall Meeting (see links below) included a chart showing the various cities with Strong Mayors and how each is organized -- differently, with different sets of checks and balances. The Johnson proposed Strong Mayor Initiative affords Sacramento's mayor more power -- with fewer checks and balances -- than any other strong mayor city. The potential transition period is shorter than in any other Strong Mayor city, some of which have taken years -- and multiple elections -- to study and implement such fundamental changes.

The proposed Strong Mayor Initiative has been compared to legislative or corporate organizations. Yet this SMI eradicates the current council/manager system, which is similar to many corporate/board structures. It also eradicates the legislative level of public input and public accountability, which is available when the Mayor participates with -- and the City Manager is answerable to -- the elected representatives on the City Council.

The Charter Review Committee's tentative recommendations include retaining the Mayor as a member of the voting body of the City Council, with one vote and no veto power. Johnson's Strong Mayor Initiative proposes that the Mayor will not have a vote and will have veto power, which leaves a ninth spot open in the Council voting body.

The new Strong Mayor would still have the power and the vote of the ninth Council Member ... until the 9th Council District is defined and the 9th District Council Member is elected. Redistricting ordinarily follows the 10 year census process. 2010 fast approaches. Redistricting is under state, not local, jurisdiction. The answer -- to how and when will the 9th Council Member be in place -- is that there is no answer.

Other cities that have adopted structural changes this dramatic have used a long term view and a deliberative process. Details regarding the 9th Council Member could be resolved, before the transfer of multiple elected officials' shared power into the hands of just one person.

The Strong Mayor Initiative bypasses that process, transfers unprecedented professional and managerial power to one politician and affords this aspiring Strong Mayor a bonus dip of power until the 9th Council Member is seated.

These crucial and unresolved aspects of the Strong Mayor Initiative were referred to in the town hall meeting as a "Gordian Knot." If ignored, those aspects will entangle the City and its Charter in all the "unforeseen consequences," litigation and unnecessary expenditures of a predictable mess.

The Charter Committee recommendations would retain the Mayor's role as a voting (9th) member of the City Council, participating in weekly meetings and without veto power.

The current City Charter provides for a professionally trained and professionally selected City Manager, supported by the authority of the full City Council, with the Mayor as a participant. Extreme empowerment of the Mayor disempowers the Council and weakens their accountability and availability to their community.

There is much more to consider and more time to make your voice heard to your City Council.

Information is available at: 

http://www.cityofsacramento.org/charter/ http://www.cityofsacramento.org/charter/Town-Hall-Meeting-Notes-Audio.html http://www.cityofsacramento.org/charter/documents/CRC-Town-Hall-Presentation-Revised-30-Sept-2009.pdf

Sign up to be email notified on your preferred City of Sacramento issues and events at: https://service.govdelivery.com/service/user.html?code=CASACRA

Contact your City Council Member at:
http://www.cityofsacramento.org/council/index.html

Camp Courage Comes to Sacramento

2009-10-17T05:15:21Z

Highlighting the one-year anniversary since Prop 8 was passed into law, Equality Action NOW, is co-sponsoring along with Courage Campaign and 20 other organizations and individuals, Camp Courage Sacramento, November 7-8, 2009. Camp Courage is an intensive two-day training designed to teach the principles and skills of community organizing and how to become an effective activist.

Drawing on techniques honed for decades by progressive social movements and proven results used by the Obama campaign, Camp Courage teaches empowerment, team building, leadership development, and grassroots organizing skills. It is designed primarily for new activists of all ages or those who have never engaged with the broader community about social issues. While overturning Prop 8 is a current focal point of attention, Camp Courage will educate individuals to plan and implement campaigns that cover a wide array of importance to the community at large.

Camp Courage will cover basic community and political organizing skills, such as finding your voice by telling your “story of self”; leadership development; principles of successful organizing; developing collaboration and building effective teams; techniques of voter persuasion; organizing a phone bank; canvassing; tabling; throwing house parties and online organizing.

In addition to providing participants with essential activist tools, Camp Courage provides a unique opportunity for community members to meet and network with like-minded individuals and organizations which they can connect, join, and put their newly learned skills to immediate use. Trainings have already been held in Los Angeles, Fresno, Oakland, San Diego, East LA and more recent in Washington DC.

Faculty and leaders of the camp include Tori Osborn, Mike Bonin and Lisa Powell. Participants of Camp Courage Sacramento will be enlightened and motivated by speakers such as Lt. Dan Choi, a West Point graduate who was discharged from the National Guard because of “homosexual conduct” and who appealed directly to President Obama to repeal the military’s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” rule. Also appearing is Rev. Eric P. Lee, President/CEO of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. More speakers will be announces later.

Courage Campaign, creator of Camp Courage is the online organizing hub for progressive Californians. They have a network of over 700,000 grassroots and netroots citizens empowered to leverage online tools for offline activism. Courage Campaign is a multi-issue organization that focuses on several California progressive issues, including marriage equality.

To sign up, go to: http://www.couragecampaign.org/page/s/campsacramento

Equality Action NOW is an award-winning local Sacramento grassroots volunteer organization filled with dedicated activists who fight on several civil rights fronts, one of which is the fight to repeal Prop 8. In co-sponsoring Camp Courage, EAN hopes to help make the first-ever Sacramento gay activist school a success by recruiting participants to become campers in this important event.

For more information about Equality Action Now visit: http://www.EqualityActionNOW.org

Think and Grow Rich

2009-10-16T20:35:30Z

THINK AND GROW RICH

By Phillip. S. Arthurs and Ella. C. Jones

          I entered the bookstore just to look around. I was broke but couldn’t pass up the temptation of browsing. I came upon the most adorable paperback and was struck by what it promised. I lifted the book from the shelf and noticed the open space of which many of its volumes previously occupied and it was all that remained of at least twenty five copies. I had no money with me but I had to have that single volume; its cover promised the fulfillment of all my future hopes and dreams with the brief statement that was its title. I imagined myself in a life without toil and struggle, a life of abundance, success and prosperity, a life that was a bed of roses; all I needed to do was “think and grow rich.” I couldn’t leave the book; I had to have it. I wouldn’t steal it but I had a plan, for surely the next observer would purchase it before I return. My intention would be to secure it until I return. Its construction was from paper that was light and cheap and poorly bounded together, but if the information it carried was so valuable it needn’t be contained in a book that would be too lasting, or too many people would share this most valuable secret. It seemed to be designed for only one or two readings and then self destruct, or crumble.
          The frail backing was already peeling off and some of the leaves were loose, and I thanked my lucky stars for its condition and availability. Its thin cover was of dark red, and the bold title in black capitals read “THINK AND GROW RICH by Neapolitan Hill.” That had always been my motto, to find the quickest and easiest way of getting rich; the book was going to tell me how to think and get rich and that sounded easy enough for me. Excitement overwhelmed me when I read the promotional statement that followed. It offered simple ways of thinking, that over fifteen of the world’s greatest billionaires have used to amass their exuberant wealth. Several million copies of this valuable book were already sold and I secretly hoped that I make my millions before it is all exhausted by other thinkers. I was overwhelmed by the exuberance of my discovery, so I hid the book behind a stock of encyclopedias and promised myself to return and purchase it as early as possible.
          It had almost been a week since I visited the bookstore. The price of the book was five dollars and I had a ten dollar bill that I marked just as a reminder. I lived in another town that was almost an hour away, so I boarded the early morning bus and arrived thirty minutes before the store opened, at 9: am. The thought of someone finding my hidden treasure and buying it haunted my mind. The shelves could have been dusted and rearranged and it became exposed and sold. It was my legacy and not anybody else’s.
The day I chose to revisit the bookstore was damp and dewy; the weather could be described as being severely inclement. I disembarked from my bus before the store just as a twirling gust of wind came from nowhere, swiped me sidewise and spun me around. The wind struck my face and bear arms with a numbing chill and as I shivered I regretted the fact that I had not observed the weather and had worn something more suitable. I hastened into the small bus shelter that stood beside the bookstore but my efforts were of little avail; because its design was of slender metal beams with a roof of what seemed like thin aluminum sheeting. The rushing wind and dust passed on and a heavy squall approached. A rushing sound preceded it like the skidding wheels of trains on screeching metal rails. It arrived with a sudden flash of lightening and the rumble of thunder that tore the elements apart. Pallets of water as large as heavy grains of pebbles rattled like a foray of bullets on the aluminum roof overhead. The covered area of the shelter was about five by ten feet but the sudden gust swept under it and drenched me to the bone.
          Cold and trembling, I pushed both hands into my side pockets with the hope of a little comfort. The squall had passed on and as its sound diminished into the distance a deep silence prevailed momentarily. My right hand clutched my white handkerchief and I extracted it to dry my face. After I returned the handkerchief to my pocket my left hand idly fidgeted with what felt like a small piece of paper; perhaps it could be a candy wrapper that I didn’t remember leaving there. I enjoyed rolling the piece of paper between my fingers and as the store opened I pulled my hands from my pockets, dropped the rolled up piece of paper in the bus shelter and enter the book store.
I headed straight to my sacred hiding place, where I hid my prized possession, and there it was just as I had left it. I took it up carefully…the cheap disheveled remnant of a paperback volume that was stocked with a wealth of information…and kissed it. “Think and Grow Rich,” the title read. I rushed to the counter and handed my prize to the cashier. “How much is it? I asked, even though I already knew the price. “Five dollars plus tax,” the cashier replied smiling. I reached into my pocket for the ten dollar bill I had kept for the purchase and it wasn’t there. It was then I realized that the strange, unaccountable piece of candy wrap in my left pocket was the money that I had put aside for the purchase of the book. I remember rolling it up into a tight ball between the fingers of my left hand and dropping it to the floor as I hurried from the bus shelter. I had hopes of finding it although it may be trampled, wet and dirty.
A load of passengers had disembarked from the bus that had just arrived and was in transit for the next line, plus there were others still waiting for the next arrival. A light drizzle of rain prevailed and the shelter was packed tightly. An old man, probably in his eighties and apparently homeless, moved around with searching eyes that peered from above stooped shoulders. He scanned the wet floor as he mumbled to himself. His unclean damp odorous garment smelled heavily of stale urine and sweat and, the noses of every one was turned up obnoxiously, as he scurried amongst the crowd. I thought the old man wasn’t in his right mind and that he was searching for pennies. Some of the people chose to stay outside and risk saturation in the fine sprinkling, rapidly drenching rain; than to inhale the cankerous smell of the old man.
          In this rain and muck I was certain no one would recognize my dirty, rolled up, trampled ten dollar bill, and just as I thought, there it was by the boots of the dirty, stink old man. He ceased his moving around, for a while, but his eyes still searched the floor. I stepped forward, bent down and picked up the small roll then I started to unfold it. The bill was badly discolored but recognizable. The old man gave me a puzzled indecisive look, cupped the sides of his head with both hands as if to settle his brain. I was more concerned in recovering what I had lost than being mindful of his action. I said, “Thank goodness,” and as I moved away the old man reached out with a shriveled, cadaverous hand and grabbed my right arm. “That ten dollar bill is mine!” he declared in a raspy tremulous voice. I didn’t want to be rough so I discretely applied enough force to dislodge his feeble grip, but he was persistent; he grabbed me again. I was twenty five years old and was raised to be respectful to elderly people. The thought of surrendering my ten dollars came to my mind but the promise that the book in the store offered was something I couldn’t overlook. The old man was either out of his mind or, really had lost something, but it wasn’t my ten dollar bill.
          Recovering what I had lost had changed the scene; I had become the culprit and the thief, for an elderly woman remarked, “Arrest that thieving scoundrel, Officer” l looked around and saw the Policeman who was on duty in the vicinity of the bookstore, and the woman who was pointing accusingly at me. A chorus of mumblings applauded her accusations as the police grabbed my arm and reached for his cuffs. I shifted out of his grip, for I was younger, stronger and swifter. He grabbed my right arm, the one in which I held the bill. “You better come along peacefully; resisting arrest can land you in jail for a long time.”
          All I wanted was a chance to explain my situation. “I will go peacefully with you if you allow me to explain what happened.” He looked at me hesitantly. “State your story, and make it quick,” he declared. “Don’t listen to any excuse he has to give you,” said another woman, “for even though the old man carries a bad smell he certainly lost something. You could see by the way he was searching around.” The officer eyed me disgustingly. “I want the truth, every word of it, and I want you to hand the old man his ten dollar bill and apologies.” I looked the officer in the eye. “I’m not a thief,” I said, “I dropped the ten dollar bill earlier, and I came back to look for it.” I could see that he wanted to strike me with his night stick; because I was bigger, younger, swifter and stronger, and his attempt at cuffing me had previously failed. His next move was indecisive, for there were many witnesses, and even though he was armed with a gun the situation didn’t warrant its use. “How old are you?”
“Twenty five,” I answered.
“Don’t get me pissed off,” he said threateningly, “your only savior is that while you are in jail the old man’s ten dollar could be held as court exhibit.”
          “I do not want to go to the court, “pleaded the old man. “I would not be able to get dressed for the occasion. All I want is my ten dollars back.” The event that led to the situation had happened so suddenly that had not the time to think constructively, but when the officer mentioned the word , ‘exhibit,’ a light brightened within my mind…I was reluctantly holding back the exhibit, my proof or ownership. “Take the money,” said jubilantly, as I handed it to the officer. “It is marked proof that I’m the owner. Read the words written along the borders of its edge…that’s my handwriting.” The police officer straightened out the crumpled bill and read the words audibly, “Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill”
          “So you did come back for that book, after all. I caught you on camera the day you hid it behind that stock of books. I was waiting for you to return and steal it. When you took it from its hiding place and left it by the cashier I thought that you caught on to the fact that you were being watched and that you were trying to evade being apprehended.”I smiled for the first time during the whole ordeal and felt relief. “I came back to purchase my book, not to steal it, as you can see by my marked bill.” The bus they were waiting for had not yet arrived and the overcrowded shelter held an eagerly listening audience. The entire spectacle obliterated the stench that emanated by the presence of the old man, for as the officer who moved to the edge from under the bus shelter to face east where the rising sun had just overcome the dewy morn; raised the tattered bill towards a glimmer of sunbeams that illuminated the bold words that became indelible from wetness and the black marker. The crowd bunched around him, and inquisitive eyes followed his outstretched arms and strained to view the written words that were so meaningful.
          The resigned, dejected countenance of the old man touched my heart and as the officer handed me my ten dollar bill I pondered over the desire to give it to the poor old man. I felt guilty for the moment when I used my youthfulness and strength to easily overcome his feeble weakness and subdued the grip he held on my arm. I reassessed him as being in his right mind and had truly lost his ten dollar bill. It wasn’t there on the ground, for surely he would have seen it. Somebody found it and was reluctant to give it up.
A little girl about five years old watched the whole charade and listened intently. She seemed extremely concerned with what transpired, and as the poor old man pleadingly moaned over his loss his supplications seemed to touch her little heart, so she tugged her mother’s shirt and beckoned her bend so that she can whisper in her ear. Her mother listened for a moment, and straightened up with a surprised look in her face; then she directed her speech to the officer. “My daughter is asking you not to arrest her. She found the other ten dollar bill—the one that the old man was looking for. She said that it was on the bus that she picked it up.” On hearing this old man suddenly brightened and his stooped shoulders seemed to straighten up. “On the bus, that’s where it was, that’s where I lost it!”he exclaimed gleefully. Instead of feeling happy for him my previous pity turned to anger. “He is demented,” I said. “He doesn’t know what he lost or where he dropped it. What the little girl claim to have found could very well belong to someone on the bus.” I paused long enough to take a deep breath. “The old man definitely lost something…his mind.”
          “See here, young man, if I were ten years younger I would make you eat your words. As a matter of fact I believe I can do it now. You are not the only person who knows how to mark a bill, for every bill I own that is five dollars or over…I make my mark on it. Because young people always believe that old folks are demented fools. The officer stooped beside the little girl, gave her a friendly smile and said politely “I won’t arrest you, for you are a pretty little girl.” She smiled reassured. “I know that I’m pretty, “she said. “Who told you so?”
“People tell me that I’m pretty, especially boys…even you,” she said to the officer after a moment’s thought… “Tell me that I’m pretty. “ She reached down into her little bosom and extracted a spanking new ten dollar bill that seemed to come from right off the press. It seemed crisp and warm from the heat of her body, as the officer held it up for everyone to see. “Thank you sweet little girl,” he said as he seemed to examine it. “Does that bill look like yours?” I said challengingly to the old man. “It is as new as a coin that’s just been minted?”
“I know, “said the old man. I got ten of them from the bank yesterday. I watched the teller peel them off a new stock, and as I always do I print my initials right in the face of each bill (T B J) Tom Baker Jones. The old man was happy to receive his bill, the little girl seemed to have had a great loss and the officer seemed disgruntled from the random outcome of his investigation. “I must warn both of you against defacing government currency. It can be a criminal charge … perhaps a misdemeanor…”
The bus arrived. The little girl held her mother’s hand as they walked towards it, but she seemed to have suffered a great loss by returning the ten dollar bill. I hastened to reach her before they boarded the bus. “Little girl,” I said. “What would you do if you had ten dollars?”
“I haven’t got ten dollars anymore,” she said, “but if I did I would buy a Charlie. Mom said that I did the right thing and that she was proud of me. She said that the poor old man needed it more.” “Come on baby; we have to catch the bus, it is about to move off,” said her mother. The little girl looked at me dubiously as her mother dragged her by the hand towards the bus. I handed her my crumpled discolored ten dollar bill just as her mother climbed the last and was hoisting her up behind her. She reached out a slender left arm to receive the bill. “Buy a Charlie,” I shouted as the bus door closed. I heard when she screamed a surprised, “Thank You,” and I saw them wave from the window of the bus as it pulled off.
          Several months later I revisited the bookstore. The shelves were loaded with copies of the same book that I had cherished so much but put aside for the love of a sweet little girl who was proud to be pretty. Many years have passed and I have bought and read several copies of the same book, even the hard cover specially bound, expensive volumes, and have not learned how to think and grow rich. I have discovered that good fortunes and riches can only be achieved, if granted by the influences of favorable circumstances. Without good luck happening at the spur of the moment, all efforts are in vain…..

Benefit concert for Women Escaping A Violent Environment (WEAVE)

2009-10-16T17:41:41Z

SACRAMENTO WOMEN’S CHORUS PERFORMS BENEFIT CONCERT FOR WEAVE OCTOBER 24.

One Nonprofit Helping Another

The Sacramento Women’s Chorus (SWC) will perform Oct. 24, 2009, with a peace concert “Singing for Our Lives”, benefiting Women Escaping A Violent Environment (WEAVE).

Special guests include Irina Rivkin and the New Freedom Choir.

WEAVE is the primary provider of crisis intervention services for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Sacramento County.

WEAVE provides services for women, men, teens and children who are survivors of domestic and sexual assault.

Free services include:

24-hour Crisis Line

Counseling

Emergency Response

Legal Advocacy

Prevention and Education

Professional Training

Safehouse Program

The SWC is a group of diverse women who are building friendships and community through their love of music, dedication to musical excellence, and commitment to performing music that reflects the lives of all women. "We perform on behalf of all women, the environment, peace, social justice, tolerance, LGBTI equality, and the celebration of diversity."

The chorus has been singing for more than 20 years. Find them at www.sacramentowomenschorus.org or http://www.meetup.com/Sacramento-Women-s-Chorus/.

"Singing for our Lives" concert helps support WEAVE's mission of bringing an end to domestic violence and sexual assault in partnership with our community. Find out more about WEAVE at www.weaveinc.org.

The concert will be at the Sanctuary of Central United Methodist Church, 5265 H St, Sacramento, CA 95819, at 7pm.

Free parking on and off-site as well as handicap accessible.

Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door, and $5 children. To order tickets, call (877) 758-7827.

Photo | Kati Garner (Chorus member)

Sac State Tuition Increasing, Classes and Professors Decreasing

2009-10-15T02:27:08Z

I am upset and I am tired. I am upset that my generation is complacent. I am upset that me and my fellow students so easily accept things going on in the world that are not right. Well I do not want to be complacent anymore. I am tired of it.

Alex Gonzalez Jr., son of Alexander Gonzalez Sr., President of Sac State, received a marketing position at Sac State making $83,000 annually. The marketing position would require Alex Jr. to promote "Destination 2010," a campaign to turn Sac State into a traditional campus rather than a commuter school.

Now, to be fair to the Gonzalez, Alex Jr. may be very qualified for the position. The problem is that no other candidate was interviewed and the position was never posted publicly.

Nepotism?

In regards to the salary, I have good news about this and bad. The good news is that Alex Jr. is not receiving a pay increase for his promotion. The bad news is that he isn't receiving a pay increase because he was making the same salary as a Sac State fundraiser. I never realized fundraising was such a highly paid position. Isn't that like raising money with the right hand to pay the left hand?

This semester Sac State tuition went up by about 30%. Increases are expected to happen again. Not only did tuition go up, but faculty have been laid off and Sac State now has "Furlough Fridays." The situation is outrageous really.

I can not accept paying $6.00 daily parking passes and 30% more tuition when my professors are being laid off and the ones still there are asked to take pay cuts. Classrooms are over filled to where there are no more desks and many classes are no longer available.

How can I or any other Sac State student speak proudly of our Sac State degree and our school when ethics and integrity our questionable within the Administration?

What would our fore fathers have done if this happened to them? What would Rosa Parks do? What would Mario Savio say?

I propose that Sac State students and students across California speak loudly and say "NO MORE" or carry a really, really big stick.

Cleanup on J Street.

2009-10-14T19:05:29Z

Crews remove a 100ft tall elm tree that fell onto two structures, one of them an unoccupied four-plex, in the 3400 block of J St in midtown. A big crane and cable haul the tree in section and shred.

Photos | Kati Garner

Punishing the Weak?

2009-10-14T16:50:50Z

It’s on days like this I think of being homeless, being in the pouring rain when all of your assets consist of a tent, some clothes and a bicycle. This is one thing I will never understand about Sacramento or any other place. Everyone “tries” so hard to save our planet, but there are over 2.000 homeless people in Sacramento County including children, what are we doing to help them? I believe a chain is only as strong as it’s weakest link, which doesn’t say much about our civilization if you think about it. We all have the same chance of losing our “secure” jobs and becoming homeless. How can we focus on the bigger problems when there is a problem we all see everyday, whether it’s driving down the street and seeing someone holding a cardboard sign or having your trash dug through for cans. The majority of homeless people in Sacramento are stereotyped as having some drug or alcohol habit and we chastise them for it. To be completely honest, if I lost my job and all of my security, I might start up a little habit to help myself cope with reality. We also chastise them for being on public property. THEY HAVE NOWHERE ELSE TO GO!!! Where would you go during the day if you had no job, no money, no house, and were forced by police to pack your tent up? Who says that they don’t have the right to be on public property? People who make and fight for these laws against homelessness are obviously not homeless. What kind of society preys on the weak, and how strong do you think this society will hold up in times of war, need, or disaster? “We're fighting an unfair law and the only way to do it is a revolution. That's how our forefathers wound up in this country. They were fighting unfair laws “
(SOURCE: News 10 Sacramento)
Talking to a couple of young homeless people, I heard something I wouldn’t have even thought about before. “We’re doing what we can to fight people who think we’re just a bunch of drug addicts” I guess maybe our community doesn’t want to help out “addicts, or maybe they don’t want to face the fact that not all homeless people are drug addicts or alcoholics, and that anyone can end up in this position with a small strike of bad luck. I also talked with a young man who was 100% free of alcohol and drugs, but just lost his job due to the economy, “I feel like giving up, people stare at me and wonder how I got like this, I wonder that too sometimes” When I asked if he thought he would find a job soon, he looked at me with a tear in his eye, and said “I can only hope” .
I am so confused at why people in the community don’t stick together. When I ask myself this question, I end up with one answer: We’re all too involved with our own lives to look at the bigger picture and realize what’s going on outside of our bubbles. With enough effort, maybe we could one day have designated areas in our community with all of the necessities for people who struggle. I think that is the day we can be more proud of the people in our community.

Sacramento storm scene shots

2009-10-14T03:46:09Z

Being the news photographer that I am I hit the road this morning around 9am to see how the storm was lashing our area. Thankfully it wasn't causing major damage from what I saw.

What I mainly found today in my travels around East Sac, American River Drive, Land Park, Greenhaven/Pocket area, downtown and midtown was leaves and limbs in yards and streets, standing water from plugged storm drains, bark stripped from trees and the wonderful smell of trees (kind of like that Christmas-smell).

At 10am, I saw this at L & 26th:

In the Land Park area, around 10:30am, I came upon these two scenes just off Riverside in Land Park:

This was a typical scene along some areas of Freeport along Land Park:

After lunch, I caught this in the Commons area close to CSUS. The guilty tree was being shredded:

I was ready to call it quits photo-wise until I a telephone call. I'm on call this week with the Sac-Sierra Chapter of the Red Cross to respond to incidents of people needing assistance with shelter, food and clothing after a disaster. I responded to a duplex that had a huge tree that split in the front yard. The structure was deemed unsafe in case gravity caused the tree to create more chaos.

And this was going along Land Park Drive - people begin to clean up:

And folks heading home probably feeling they should be piloting a boat along Land Park Dr:

Clearing storm drains and raking in East Sac around 5:40pm:

A major plug along Stockton Blvd in front of UC Davis Medical Center around 6pm:

And around 6:15pm, this welcome site:

Photos | Kati Garner

OUR CRIES ECHO FROM ONE SACRAMENTO NEIGHBORHOOD TO ANOTHER- Part One

2009-10-13T22:38:25Z

"Please don't make me do it. Please don't make me see him covered in dirt." I trembled as I heard Debbie's cries.

Tears flowed down her face as her husband picked her up and carried her to the grave site. Debbie fought with all her heart not to see a casket holding her 17 year-old son Robert laid in the ground.

"You have to do this Debbie, you can do this," her husband said. I watched a mother praying to take her breath and give it to her child. She laid over his casket wanting him to breathe. It was painful.

For months I would see Debbie with a blanket lying on the ground where Robert took his last breath. I watched her go to the murder site and place a little white gate the size of a coffin where his body had lain.

She put photos of Robert’s smiling face all around the memorial and then she laid there sobbing.

A crew would remove her memorial and she'd go back and set it up again until she was told she could no longer set it up.

Debbie told me, "I moved here (to Meadowview from Oak Park) so he would live. I wanted him to be safe. There was too much violence in our old neighborhood". She cried, blaming herself. I held her and told her, "It's not your fault. The violence is everywhere we can afford to live".

I stood where 17 year-old LaMarr was shot and killed. LaMarr's body laid covered in a tarp in the middle of the afternoon.

He was shot and killed in the middle of a busy street. Teenagers walking from a nearby high school gathered and stood sobbing. There were no grief counselors.

In fact, during this time a Harry Potter film was being shown at theaters. I watched the news and saw grief counselors were sent so moviegoers wouldn't be traumatized when a lead fictional character died. I went to the county supervisors time and time again asking, “Where are our grief counselors?"

I never saw grief counselors at the sites where youth were dying -- where real humans laid dead -- gunshot wounds in the chest, back, head, neck.

Streets would fill with friends and families of the victims holding vigils.

At LaMarr's candlelight vigil, I looked over and saw Debbie. I went to hug her and she held me so tight and cried, "I didn't know him. But I had to come. I know how I felt at Robert's vigil and I wanted to support the family."

A mother whose son was murdered goes to the vigil of another murdered child and relives her pain over and over.

We lit a candle and said a prayer. I recall leaving Robert's memorial and going next to one for 18-year-old Shaneel. Shaneel and Robert were shot and killed a day apart.

Two families stood in vigil over the site where their loved ones took their last breath. It never surprised me to see the family of a murder victim in tears, supporting another murder victim’s family.

For a while after Shaneel died, someone in his family would hang a sheet on a pole near where he died. I would see youth standing there at the site. One boy would just stand and talk as if waiting for Shaneel to reply.

I spoke to the family of 19-year-old Derek. His sister held her younger brother as he lay dying in her arms. He looked up at her and his last words embedded in her memory are, "Please don't leave me. Please don't leave me."

She held him with his blood covering her shirt, screaming, “Where are they? Where are the paramedics?”

She cried, "No, Don't you leave me. I told you I won't leave you. Don't you leave me," as he took his last breath. I didn't know Derek. He died and I was two blocks away at another funeral. His family gave me a picture of him with members of his family in appreciation to a stranger who showed them love in the midst of so much pain.

I loved Jack with all my heart. He was a 16-year-old neighborhood youth with a smile like Denzel Washington. I was taking my son to the Folsom Outlets to buy a winter coat and Jack asked to ride along. When we got to the outlet store I pulled my son aside and told him, "I can buy you this one coat which costs a little more or I can buy two jackets, one for you and one for your friend Jack."

My son said, "I'll take the cheaper one. He doesn't have a coat." The boys wore the coats home, looking like twins, with smiles as radiant as can be.

I began planning a march and rally to bring awareness to the violence. Jack looked at me and said, "No one cares." I told him, "People do care. I'll show you just how much. I'll show you the pen is mightier than the sword."

I began writing of all the deaths. Jack smiled every time he came to the house and saw me busy at work. He said, "You are going to show me, aren't you?"

On March 11, Jack came to the house saying Dontehad been shot and killed that afternoon in an apartment complexthat was supposed to have a police substation.

The following day, Jack came to the house and said, "Deantwean was shot and killed. He was with a friend and he was shot, too."

The following day another 18 year old was shot in the head. By the grace of God, he survived. I wrote letters and e-mails, speaking of the deaths mounting in a community divided into victims and suspects.

I was on a Regional Transit bus about to go home. The street was filled with commotion. Youth were standing on both sides of the street. I asked the bus driver to stop.

I ran to the scene and heard: “It’s Jack. They shot Jack.” 18-year-old Jack lay at a mini-mall, gunshot wounds to the chest.

I held his 15-year-old friend, whose shirt was covered with Jack's blood. The ambulance drove away. I waited for the 15 year old's mother to arrive, then drove with a girl at the scene, to the hospital.

I ran to the registration counter and gave Jack's name. I was asked, “Are you family?" I said "Yes." They took me aside and said, "I'm sorry he didn't make it.”

Jack died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. I felt ill. Youth are not life-flighted to area hospitals. There were two hospitals close to where Jack was shot but he was taken by ambulance across town to the medical center, where he was dead on arrival.

I begin to wonder if Jack was closer to the truth than I. Does anyone care? Our children are dying. Families are mourning. People are suffering. Our cries echo from one Sacramento neighborhood to another.

I sat at David's funeral. Shortly after the funeral began, a petite woman walked to the microphone, hands trembling, and said softly, "I need this funeral to go as quickly as possible. I just buried his brother."

Her movements were so slow and painful. It appeared as though pain carried her. David's brother Damon was murdered less than two years earlier. Their mother then began to tell the people in attendance, “David was a good boy.”

A mother whose son was dead wanted people to know her son was a good boy.

I went for a walk early one morning and gazed down. Printed on the sidewalk were the words, "Here lays my 2 brothers Anthony and Albert shot and killed, They dead. They with God now."

My mind drifted to the family of 18-year-old Gregory and 20-year-old Hudson, two other brothers shot and killed, dying minutes apart. Another family having to bury two of their children in Sacramento, the city of Trees. A city with so many distractions that youth death and youth arrest always seem to get overshadowed with yet another agenda.

I spoke with 21-year-old Wesley’s father. He was in great pain: "I wanted my son to live"

Wesley’s body laid covered in blood on a grassy area in an apartment complex. There are two painful sides to a youth violence crisis: Families are mourning the loss of their beloved child -- dead. Families are mourning the loss of their child sentenced to live and die in a California state prison -- the walking dead.

In every violent death, the suspect was another youth. One dead on our streets and another walking dead in prison. I saw so many in a psychological frozen state.

Bodies found in dumpsters, gutters, middle of streets, schools basketball courts, fast food restaurants, gas stations, shopping malls, in their homes, outside their homes, on their front porch, running to make it home, North Sacramento, South Sacramento, East Sacramento and West Sacramento. I looked for a safe haven but there was none.

A Florin Honor Roll student, 15-year-old Shavtavia, was shot and killed as she left a graduation party. Phillip, 16, was shot and killed outside a birthday party. Three others were shot and survived, including a 14-year-old

Jelisa, 16, was shot and killed outside a house party. Donte, 16, was shot and killed.The body of 16-year-old Durey laid dead in the middle of the street. The body of 17-year-old Bobby was found behind the bushes. The family of 21-year-old Adrian awoke to a nightmare. Right outside their door, their son lay in their front yard.

Can you imagine opening the door to see your child dead and know they were running home to you, to safety?

Lenny, 13, stood with friends on a Sacramento street. Boom.He was shot and killed as his friends watched in horror.

Arturu, 11, was shot in the head. He lived but is blind. Curtis was another teen with a beautiful smile. At age 15, he was shot and survived. Curtis worked so hard at job skills classes and showed his life skills certificates to his grandfather. Just when Curtis was beginning to think of a future, he was shot again. He died at age 16. I will never forget his eyes. He would smile at me and his eyes would sparkle.

I received a call from Ralph. His 18-year-old son, Ralph Jr., had been shot and killed. "I had to go to the morgue to view my son's body. Eighteen bullets, bullets even in his groin."

A father cried as he spoke to me -- a stranger -- just wanting to talk to someone about the pain and suffering.

I went to the city of Sacramento seeking a Youth Death Review Team to save the lives of Sacramento's sons and daughters. But my efforts on behalf of the Youth Death Review Team were in vain. But I continue to labor through the pain.

I went to Donald's funeral. His mother, Toni, came and spoke at a rally I held. Toni was so proud of her son Donald. Can you imagine walking into the bathroom to find your son lying in a tub filled of blood? She can not get the memory out her mind.

The church was filled to capacity for Donald’s funeral. I attended the car wash by which his family, as so many others, are reduced to focusing on their inadequacies -- the fact they can’t afford to bury their child.

Can you imagine wanting and getting a job to buy nice things for your child only to have a job and not be able to afford to bury that child?

Natasha and her younger children were tied up. She will never forget the sound of the gunshot that took her son's life. When I look into Natasha's eyes, they are always teary and swollen in pain.

I can't imagine being tied up, wanting to help my son but not being able to break free, hearing him being shot, knowing that he died while I was in the next room.

Someone knocked on Debbie's door. Her son James answered it. Debbie was awakened by gunshots. She ran to her front door to find her 18-year-old son, James, dying in his younger brother's arms.

Debbie and Natasha have come to youth violence meetings seeking youth violence prevention.

I received a call from Carla. She cried, 'Rhonda, do you know what it's like to answer the phone and your sister tells you come over, your son is dying, shot dead"

Carlos is dead. I stayed on the phone for an hour and listened to her cries.

At 19-year-old Tyesha's funeral, her grandfather stood and said, "This is not a funeral. Tyesha is a Christian. She knows God. It's her homegoing."

And then the family asked for prayer for the youth who took their beautiful daughter's life.

Shirley has attended countless youth violence meetings. She has stood and addressed city officials in the midst of her own pain. At her son Michael's funeral I held a youth who was 19. When you look into his eyes you see the memories of death.

He spoke softly, "I've been to 20 funerals." A boy has been to more funerals than the number of years he's been alive. All this in the city of Sacramento, the city of trees, where it appears life and freedom are blowing in the wind. At every funeral, the church, hall, wake and cemetery are filled to capacity.

Often, youth lined up along the sidewalk because the church was overcrowded. Sometimes I'd see some familiar faces that I saw at other funerals and more often than not I saw a few hundred faces I hadn't seen before. The deaths affect so many people, so much pain.

It has been painful to write of Sacramento's sons and daughters who died a premature death as a result of youth violence in a city that appears to have other priorities, priorities that overshadow life and freedom.

Our mayor's priority is a "strong mayor" proposal. I don't share his enthusiasm on changing the charter of Sacramento. I'm far too busy wanting to change the tide of deaths as families cry rivers of tears, and drown in seas of neglect and oceans of pain.

I couldn't get the city to fund a Youth Death Review Team. But I've learned when the mayor wants a strong mayor proposal we quickly have a strong mayor Charter Commission formed.

Can you imagine how painful it is to walk for five years in the valley of the shadow of death and be right where you started seeking a Youth Death Review Team? I've walked in a circle. I must again plead with another Mayor for Sacramento youth to have life and know freedom.

The mayor looks in one direction -- suppression -- and looks to those who want more funding to saturate communities with armed patrol. I haven't met a family yet whose child has been murdered who has not preferred prevention over suppression.

When you’ve seen so much pain, witnessed so much suffering, you can not be pacified with minimal efforts. Watching the mayor’s Youth/Gang summit was painful. A community suffering was pacified with a quick fix. Heck, it wasn’t even masqueraded as a fix.

Can you imagine the pain of seeing the mayor put a band-aid on a fracture and call it a day? Can you understand the anger of seeing yet another minimal effort that duplicates the efforts made year in and year out?

Can you imagine being in pain and seeing the crisis and tragedy in your community swept under a rug?

Can you imagine suffocating in misery, your pain blanketed until budget hearings are scheduled and a police union official says, “We need more money. If we get less we’ll do less." You and others are working with so much less and wanting to do so much more. Can you imagine seeing so many others being paid and the funding never quite reaches the community directly affected and exposed to the violence?

I used to be embarrassed that I was low income. At youth violence meetings I would wait until everyone had left before I walked out. I didn’t want them to see me walking home as they were driving away in their nice cars. I am no longer embarrassed. Being a resident of the low income community I learned to love unconditionally. Equally important I learned many of us are loved conditionally-- when and if funding is available.

Once I walked home from a youth violence meeting in the dark and the rain, but I didn’t feel rain drops falling on my head. I felt a steady flow of tears because I walked to the meeting with high hopes and sat through constant disappointment, learning it wasn’t even about us, it was all about money.

The truth is we need more resources and we are not getting them because in the city of Sacramento life and freedom takes a backseat to political games of greed and deceit. A community is divided by morgues, cemeteries, funerals, vigils, courts and prisons.

On this painful journey, I‘ve seen much love in the midst of so much sorrow. I've also stood at meetings and seen people focus on money and not on our pain and our deaths. I've seen the heartless and I've been embraced by the loving.

I stood in front of the mayor on Tuesday and he appeared to look right through me. It's painful. But I've labored for now five years without pay going to countless city hall, county supervisor, community town hall meetings, summits, workshops, funerals, vigils and car washes to bury the dead and I watched so many make everyone and everything else priority.

It seems crime does pay. A whole lot of folks are getting funding and we die. Poverty pimps circle over our dead as vultures trying to get funding for our crisis. And then we have elected officials who use the crisis, stating, "Public safety is our number one priority." But there are few doves of peace and many vultures. Public Safety is a priority for politicians to get into office and no longer a priority once in office.

Our children are dying. As I sat in City Hall attending a Charter Review Commission hearing, tears came to my eyes as I prayed perhaps one day we'll sit here for a Youth Death Prevention Commission. Tears came to my eyes as I realized I walked in a circle to again plead with a Sacramento Mayor to hear our cries and significantly address our suffering.

I've prayed that one day I'll sit in a meeting that willaddress our pain and suffering. But I won't hold my breath. I might just end up like so many more -- breathless.

Our cries continue to echo from one Sacramento neighborhood to another. Wherever we can afford to live.

Rhonda Erwin

Community Activist / Mother living in a community divided into youth victims and youth suspects

Maine’s Question One – A Question For California?

2009-10-13T15:56:08Z

On the evening of November 4, 2009, members of civil and same-sex marriage rights organizations will stage a rally at the California State Capitol to protest the passing of Prop 8 exactly one year ago. Roughly three thousand miles away in the state of Maine, Question One will have been answered for citizens hoping their state is the next state to legalize same-sex marriage.

Maine is the latest battleground for supporters of same-sex marriage. On November 3, they will be the first in any state with the chance to repeal or uphold a law passed by their state Legislature and signed by their governor, legalizing such marriages. The ballot measure, Question One, results from Maine’s provision for a “people’s veto”, which means any newly passed law can be subject to repeal by voters if enough signatures can be obtained to trigger a referendum.

Back here in California, supporters of same-sex marriage are cautiously hopeful for a landmark victory that they believe would have an impact here. If the law is unhealed it could help with a positive momentum many believe is happening in California. The real question is how would a defeat, Maine voters repealing the law; affect California in overturning Prop 8?

“I don’t think anyone really knows for sure,” answered Tina Reynolds, co-founder of Equality Action Now, a grassroots civil rights organization based in Sacramento and organizer of the California State Capitol protest. “Maine is our sister state fighting the same lies and distortions created by the religious right to repeal their same sex marriage laws. The radical right is using fear in the same manner as they used against us in California.”

Reynolds goes on to say, “November 4 will be the one year anniversary when California’s LGBTQI (Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Transsexual, Questioning, Intersex) community lost our equality and it will be the day after the vote in Maine. We will stand on our own state capitol steps in solidarity with our Maine brothers and sisters. We will celebrate with them or join arms and continue to gain strength to fight on a national level with them!”

Whatever the decision of Maine voters, knowing the track record of California gay rights activists who seem to have the resiliency to press on year-after-year, the fight for same-sex marriage will continue to move ahead until it is settled for good. While Maine could provide a boost or depression, it is likely to have a short term affect to the efforts here in California. One good indication could be the attendance and the mood of participants, both for and against gay marriage, who show up on the west steps of the California State Capitol Building, November 4th at 5:00 pm. It could be a defining moment with national implications.

Hecklers - You Suck!

2009-10-12T18:25:45Z

This week's "Ask The Comedy Guy" question is:

"How does a comedian handle a heckler from the audience?"

Thank you for that question! As most of you know, The Comedy Guy is one of the most easy going people in Sacramento. But nothing gets my ire up like this behavior at a live comedy performance. So, if you read my angry hit piece; "The Things That I Hate" on the SacramentoComedy.Com website, then you know this is one of my personal vexations.

I came to see the professional comedian, not you, the drunk audience member wanting to be part of the act. Laugh, respond only when spoken to and keep your comments quietly to yourself. Unless you have a good 15 minutes of solid, well rehearsed, stand up material, you probably aren’t a better comedy writer than the guy or gal on stage.

When you are shot down or torn up by the person on stage, don’t think you are “adding great material to their act”. You aren’t. You are only showing everyone around you are a social misfit out on a day pass. I doubt that you shout out at the movie screen, (Rocky Horror Picture Show fans are an exception). I pay very good money to be entertained by the professional on the stage. Sit down and Shut The F*** Up!

Fortunately, (or unfortunately, depending on your viewpoint), most experienced comedians have a pocket full of ways to handle hecklers.

First, ignore them. An occasional misappropriated comment from the audience might just be a slip in protocol. Next, they might nicely make a joke "Hey, I don't come and harass you at your job at Burger King" to call the offending party out. Finally, if the comic has the training and experience, they flat outright challenge the heckler, turning the crowd against them.

One of the funniest and least mean spirited example of this is by San Francisco comedian, Joe Klocek. He brought the heckler on stage and, well you can see the result by clicking here. By the way, Klocek will be headlining at the Sacramento Punchline later this month. You can check him and all of the Sacramento comedy events, headliners and Sacramento comedy clubs in the Sacramento area at our website.

Keep laughing until next week!

The Comedy Guy

Steven Bloom is the founder of SacramentoComedy.Com, the Official Guide to Sacramento Comedy. This web site is dedicated to interviews, comedian bios, videos and consolidatiing all of the Sacramento comedy events to a single site. You can send your questions directly to The Comedy Guy at Steven@SacramentoComedy.Com

A 10-Step Plan To Fix K Street, Or: The Legend of the Skyscraper Fairy

2009-10-12T03:55:54Z

As a Sacramento resident keenly interested in the history of K Street from the gold rush to the present, I have read many opinions regarding the best ways to fix the ongoing problems of K Street. Some have been proposed recently, ideas that I view with a mixture of amusement and horror. Most involve returning to the mistakes of the past while clearly avoiding its successes. In order to take the best from the past while avoiding some of its mistakes, I have selected some favorites. I can take credit for none of them, as they are all ideas that have been suggested at other times and places, but they seem like the best of the lot to me. This ten-point plan varies in scope from the very simple and inexpensive to the rather complex and expensive, some are short-term solutions while others are longer-term solutions for better times, but all of them are practical. I can provide more detail about most of these points if requested.

1. Accept that the Skyscraper Fairy does not exist.

Many landlords along K Street have no apparent interest in maintaining or improving their properties. Some are convinced that as long as they own the land, the magical Skyscraper Fairy will give them uncountable millions for the land where their decaying buildings sit, and will replace them with shiny new skyscrapers. Thus, they have little interest in maintaining or tenanting their buildings. The result is under-utilized or vacant buildings whose facades continue to crumble. Despite the Downtown Partnership’s efforts to power-wash streets and alleys, buildings allowed to fall into disrepair, inhabited only by bats and squatters, make our historic buildings into eyesores. Ideally, the city’s code enforcement division would issue stiff fines to property owners who allow their buildings to fall into disrepair, in order to prevent demolition by neglect. Unfortunately, the city of Sacramento is also one of the guilty parties, and one of the strongest believers in the Skyscraper Fairy. City-owned properties currently sit vacant, awaiting their own savior in the form of a deep-pocketed developer who will brush aside the old building and provide badly-needed money to build something else. Given K Street’s current state, this is unlikely—the only propositions so far are dependent on generous subsidies from the city of Sacramento. Until both the city and K Street property owners can be dispelled of their belief in the magical skyscraper fairy, their properties will continue to rot.

2. It’s time to leave the shopping mall in the past.

K Street was a bustling place until the 1950s, when most of Sacramento’s population moved out of the central city, the residential neighborhoods adjacent to downtown Sacramento were demolished, and the city streetcar system was replaced by highways and automobiles. Suburban malls were closer to the new suburban neighborhoods and had plentiful parking, while K Street was far away and none of the stores had parking lots. The K Street pedestrian mall of the 1960s and 1970s was a desperate move to woo suburban shoppers by simulating a suburban mall, including demolition of nearby buildings to provide parking. But the suburban malls were still more convenient, and their parking lots bigger and more obvious, so K Street’s rebirth as a mall of the 1970s failed. A 1990s re-vamp that enclosed the section from 4th to 7th Street has become another failure, due to its failure to move beyond the idea of a suburban mall downtown.

A new generation of city planners has noted that shopping centers of the 2000s look a lot like old downtowns, with stores that copy historic styles and a mixture of pedestrian paths and driveways. These planners have decided that this is the future of K Street, and call for a return of cars to K Street so they can pretend K Street is a new suburban "power center," the 2010s equivalent of a shopping mall. But those suburban “power centers” are still closer to suburban shoppers, and their parking lots are still bigger. If K Street is simply opened to cars and its facades remodeled to emulate new suburban shopping centers in North Natomas, how can the result be any different from the last two attempts to disguise downtown Sacramento as a suburban mall?

3. Cars, no. Bikes, yes.

The simplest change to energize K Street will cost very little: permit bicycle riding on K Street. Bike riding is already on the rise, and the freedom to bike on K Street would turn it into the main cycling corridor of the central city, free from the vehicular mayhem of J and L Street. Provide a few bike racks so bike riders can stop and shop as well as ride through, and the numbers strolling past store windows will dramatically increase.

4. Shrink light rail to streetcar size.

Until the 1940s, K Street had transit in all sizes. On K Street itself, streetcars ran from the heart of downtown to Midtown, Southside and nearby suburbs like Land Park, Oak Park and East Sacramento. These cars were small, typically 30-40 feet long, about the size of a modern bus, and operated at speeds up to 25-30 miles per hour. Like a bus, they worked reasonably well with traffic, but because they had fixed rails they had a smoother ride and a predictable path, making them more comfortable for riders. Trains ran every ten minutes during the day, and “owl” runs carried late-night travelers all night.

On the corner of 8th and K Street, interurban trains ran in both directions. Passengers from Woodland, Chico, Stockton and even Oakland could hop on the train and get off on K Street. These trains were bigger, 60-80 feet long, and operated in trains as long as 6-8 cars. They were taller and wider than streetcars, and could reach 60-70 miles per hour going flat-out through the countryside. They ran on 8th Street because K Street was far too busy to handle the big trains.

Today, modern Light Rail trains are more like the interurbans than streetcars. With 80 foot long bodies and operating in four-car trains, they are not well-suited to playing the role of a streetcar. By through-routing Blue Line trains north via the upcoming 7th Street extension and connecting to North 12th Street via Richards Boulevard, light rail trains could bring passengers from Folsom, Rancho Cordova, South Sacramento and North Highlands to K Street without crowding pedestrians off the street.

Meanwhile, the streetcars can return to K Street. Some of Sacramento’s historic streetcars exist in unrestored condition in private collections, but modern streetcars offer amenities like air conditioning and ADA-accessible low-floor entryways. They can run on the existing K Street tracks while leaving more room for pedestrians and bikes. Using existing light rail lines and sharing their tracks, these streetcars can link nearby neighborhoods and connect with light rail. Extending streetcar lines into existing neighborhoods and new development areas costs less than one-third the price of light rail extensions and drives population density, economic investment and reduces the need for cars and parking. Run them until after 2:00 AM to give downtown visitors an option to leave their cars at home—especially if they plan on drinking.

5. Legalize street life.

This is another cheap and easy solution. Part of Second Saturday’s success is its prolific use of street music, performers, and vendors, but its monthly status creates a feast-or-famine condition. A permit program to allow music, performance and vending at any time means that visitors to K Street won’t need to check their calendars before going downtown. Street music and vending also gives local entertainers and small businesspeople a stepping stone to a retail storefront or a musical career. Musicians and vendors will promote activity, give walkers a reason to stick around, and attract visitors to enjoy the street life. This also does not rule out special street festivals and special events above and beyond the day-to-day activity, and maintaining K Street as a pedestrian walk maintains this valuable civic amenity for more public festivals. Both everyday street life and special events will draw visitors from within Sacramento, the surrounding region, and tourists from out of town.

6. Tours bring tourists.

Despite the demolition of the past few decades, K Street still retains a remarkable number of historic buildings, proud evidence of our architectural heritage in stone, terra cotta and concrete. Many cities use local tourism programs to bring visitors into the heart of the city, but to most visitors, Sacramento’s history ends at the edge of Old Sacramento. Efforts to alter this perception have been minimal. The Downtown Sacramento Partnership has a guided tour program, but it is minimally staffed, minimally funded, and minimally advertised. Downtown visitors looking for local history information are likely to come up empty-handed. Sacramento needs a full-strength tourism program worthy of a city with such a rich and diverse history. K Street, the walking street at the heart of the city, can be the center of such a tour program, with more tours branching out into nearby downtown streets and our architecturally rich residential neighborhoods. History tours appeal both to visiting tourists and to locals interested in learning more about their city's past.

On K Street, the potential star attraction of local tourism is right under your feet. Sacramento’s underground sidewalks, the result of a street-raising measure intended to keep the city above flood waters, run the length of K Street from the river to about 12th Street. Many are demolished, but enough material remains to allow a tour to weave in and out of underground sidewalk spaces, sunken alleys, basements, and even below-surface businesses. Combined with the dramatic story of the raised streets, and some entertaining and colorful stories from Sacramento’s history, the potential of an underground sidewalks tour is unlimited. In Seattle, local booster Bill Speidel turned a walk through clammy underground sidewalks in a notoriously bad part of town into a million-dollar tourist attraction that is known worldwide, drawing as many as 300,000 visitors a year and employing as many as 50 full-time staff. There is no reason that Sacramento can’t do the same.

7. Bring on the nightlife.

If a suburban mall isn’t the answer, what will bring suburban residents downtown? The answer is simple: Give them something the suburbs don’t have. Sacramento is best known for its quiet suburbs, the result of a decades-long whitewashing operation to conceal our party-animal past. The rowdy days of the Gold Rush, the proliferation of local breweries and wineries, our almost total refusal to acknowledge Prohibition, the legendary jazz and blues clubs of Sacramento’s West End, and even last year’s New Year’s Eve party (2,000 expected, 12,000 attended) burst through the “town where nothing happens” façade. It’s time to face the truth, and bring more nightlife down the length of K Street. This doesn’t just mean bars, it also means late-night restaurants, theaters, live music venues, dance clubs, movies, spas and salons, comedy clubs, coffee shops, and other imaginative options for entertainment. Cooperative parking agreements with state parking lots can provide tens of thousands of parking spaces, and better public transit can carry revelers home in safety.

8. Shop local, even if you’re from out of town.

The shopping-mall consultants are half right about K Street—it does need more than nightlife to survive. Daytime and early evening traffic means retail stores and services in between the state-employee lunch rush and the arrival of the dinner, drinks and dancing crowd. However, national chain stores are hesitant to expand, even if bribed into doing so. And again, suburban visitors won’t drive downtown to a store in their local mall. The answer is, again, to give them something the mall doesn’t have: unique, local stores. Local businesses keep money in the local economy, stimulate local employment and provide a unique character that chain stores simply can’t match. Encouraging local businesspeople to rent storefronts on K Street should be a city priority. Matched with neighborhood-serving retail like food markets, cleaners, drugstores and small department stores, locally-based retail on K Street should appeal to suburban shoppers, out-of-town visitors, and central city residents. As stores fill and crowds start to appear, instead of having to beg national chains to locate on K Street, they will appear on their own, smelling money to be made.

One idea we might lift from San Francisco: the much-adored Metreon, high-tech consumer wonderland, is falling on hard economic times, with many vacancies. Earlier this year, a full-time farmer’s market moved into the Metreon, and has already proved a popular destination. A permanent farmer’s market on K Street, instead of the current sporadic weekly markets, would provide fresh foods to a neighborhood where none are sold. Downtown workers, visitors and residents would all benefit from a convenient source for the Sacramento Valley’s agricultural bounty.

9. Living on K Street shouldn’t mean sleeping directly on it.

The destruction of the downtown neighborhoods near K Street was followed by the destruction of thousands of inexpensive rental rooms, commonly known as SRO hotels, where thousands of workers lived. As inexpensive housing disappeared, the poorest people did not. Out of necessity, they made their home on the streets. Many are still there, and as existing SRO stock is phased out of service and homeless services disappear, their numbers grow. They will not vanish and they will not simply move away, because they have nowhere to go and no alternative. The only way to reverse this trend is to replace the housing that was lost. This replacement housing need not be here on K Street, but it needs to be somewhere. Our only alternative is to accept the presence of people sleeping on the streets as an unalterable condition, and tell them that their suffering is necessary and unavoidable—or to simply remain in denial of the problem, which amounts to the same thing. As a people, as a city and as a nation, I think we are capable of better than that.

But it isn’t just the poorest that need housing in the central city. Housing for all income levels should be included in new development projects, but putting it into existing buildings would be even easier. Many formerly residential buildings were converted to office use in the 1960s and 1970s, so why not convert the abundance of vacant upper-story office space back into residential units? This housing should cross the economic spectrum: SRO units for the disabled and seniors, low-income units for service employees, workforce housing for office employees, and high-end, high-up housing for the high rollers. A truly urban life results when you can see all the way across the economic spectrum just walking down the street. That can’t happen unless the street has places for all of them to live, dine, work and shop. Again, not all of these places have to be directly on K Street, but they should be close enough to walk there in a few minutes. Restoration of residential buildings will preserve their architectural value, bring life back to the neighborhood, fill a great social need, and jobs restoring and maintaining the buildings will create more employment than comparable levels of new construction.

10. Have faith, be good, and the Skyscraper Fairy will come.

Part of the current mentality of property owners on K Street is based on outdated models of how downtown development should happen. For decades, cities were assumed to be teeming pits of an imaginary disease called “blight” that could only be cured with wrecking balls and a liberal application of public-funded redevelopment dollars, designed to push out “undesirable” tenants and solicit only the coveted suburban émigré to return to the central business district, and then only to spend money and leave, never to live. Today’s cities don’t work like that anymore. People want to live in cities because they want the amenities of urban life unavailable in the suburbs. If K Street can offer those amenities, not a sanitized Disneyland version and certainly not a copy of a suburban mall, they will grow interested in K Street. If they are interested, they will come to visit. If there are places to live, and things to see and do, they will want to move downtown. Once enough people have moved downtown that there is no longer room in existing buildings, and people feel safe and secure in neighborhoods that are well-maintained, high-rise developers who understand how cities work will look at K Street and see dollar signs. Instead of developers seeking handouts to build on K Street, they will come with money in hand where they think they can make even more.

And when they do, the Skyscraper Fairy will visit the property owners and civic leaders who took care of their buildings, who encouraged vitality and street life instead of a tax write-off, who promoted transit and walkability, and drew people back downtown to share in K Street’s uniqueness, character and history. She will shower them with money and riches and blessings, and cranes will rise on K Street, filling the gaps between the last century’s architectural gems with bright, tall new buildings. Yes, Sacramento, there is a Skyscraper Fairy, but she has very high standards.

William Burg is a board member of the Sacramento Old City Association. This story is a guest editorial opinion, and does not represent the opinion of Sacramento Press or its editors.

Still hope to see fall colors

2009-10-11T18:02:17Z

See fall colors in Hope Valley!

Yesterday I went with a group of 13 photographers to Hope Valley to capture fall colors. We saw spectacular views.

Here is the route we roughly followed:

Hwy 50 to Mormon Emigrant Trail to 88, followed 88 over Carson Pass and through Hope Valley to 89, followed 89 over Monitor Pass (high and glorious views) to Hwy 395, took 395 North and looped back to 88, followed 88 back to 89 and take Luther Pass to Echo Summit and came back to Sacramento on Hwy 50. Caught a great sunset while passing Placerville.

Photos | Kati Garner

Gay and Lesbian Film Festival premiers

2009-10-09T14:36:18Z

Sacramento International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival board members, Stuart Eldridge, Sharon Sampsel - Vice President,

Dawn Deason - President, Sandy Phillips - Volunteer Coordinator, Michael Dennis - Film Selection, Emily Bender - Secretary,

Lou Camera - Treasurer/Business Manager, and David van der Griff, kicked off this year's event with an opening night reception for film pass holders at the Cosmos Cafe, just across from The Crest. Friday night's feature program, which includes "Girl Talk", U-Haul: The Music Video" and "I can't think straight", starts at 7:30pm. Tickets are available at The Beat Music Store, tickets.com and The Crest Theatre. The Festival runs through Saturday.

Photo | Kati Garner

"Raley Field Rumble" Battle of the Badges VI Boxing Tournament

2009-10-08T21:22:06Z

Battle of the Badges Boxing Tournament will take place at Raley Field in Sacramento on Saturday October 10, 2009 | Doors Open 4:30 PM - Fight Time 6:00 PM | A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Firefighters Burn Institute | Ticket Prices $25 - Bowl Seating and $30 - Floor Level Seating | Tickets available at ticketmaster.com or the Raley Field Ticket Office | For more information please contact Isreal Montes at (916) 208-7818

SPECIAL GUESTS: Tony "The Tiger" Lopez, 3X World Champion Boxer,

Loreto Garza, Former WBA Jr World Welterweight Champion

Jon Schorle, World Class Referee, Over 50 World Championship Fights (Boxing, Kick Boxing, MMA)

Commemorative T-shirts For Sale, Ring Girls, & Live Music By DJ Alazzawi

One Year Ago – A Day of Smiles - A Day of Tears – A Day of Action

2009-10-08T06:59:47Z

A year ago on November 4, 2008, Proposition 8, a California ballot proposition passed in the November general election. The measure added a new section (7.5) to Article I of the California Constitution. The section reads: “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.” The proposition overturned the California Supreme Court’s ruling saying that same-sex marriage is a constitutional right, by restricting the definition of marriage to opposite-sex couples. California’s State Constitution put the measure into immediate effect the day after the election.

On November 4, 2009, Equality Action Now, along with members of the Sacramento LGBTQI (Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Transsexual, Questioning, Intersex) Leadership Coalition will lead a rally and march at the California State Capitol Building to highlight the fact that the fight for civil rights for all citizens is not over. The rally will begin at 5:00 pm with sign making for participants, followed at 6:00 pm with a few speakers. At 6:30 pm Equality Action Now will lead a march around the capitol grounds.

Equality Action Now, a grassroots all-volunteer civil rights organization was born literally moments after the November 2008 elections. The award-winning group of activists lead by Tina Reynolds, co-founder and owner of Uptown Studios now serves as Sacramento’s premier civil rights organization. Even though the same-sex marriage issue is still an important focus of the organization, members have also spent their free time collecting food for the poor marched in step with other organizations such as the labor union and the Martin Luther King Jr Day parade Members also was instrumental in supporting SafeGround Sacramento, fighting for the homeless and helpless.

The Sacramento LGBTQI Leadership Coalition was formed just prior to the recent California Supreme Court decision to uphold Prop 8. Along with leaders of Equality Action Now, this group meets monthly to share information from other local grassroots and statewide organizations on preparations to overturn Prop 8.

The November 4th rally will serve as a reminder to the public at-large that the LGBTQI community, along with their many straight, political, and religious allies will not give up the fight for full equality until their rights are fully restored. While the decision of when to place this issue back on the ballot (2010 or 2012) is being decided, organizations such as Equality Action Now are continuing to mobilize, motivate, activate like-minded individuals and educate opponents who may have heard only one side of the issue.

The California State Capitol Building is located at 10th and L Street, Sacramento, CA. The rally will begin on the west steps at 5:00 pm and will conclude at 6:30 pm with a march around the capitol grounds. For more information visit Equality Action Now’s web site at: http://www.EqualityActionNow.org. or events@equalityactionnow.org or phone (916) 446-1082.

Global Entrepreneurship Week, Sacramento, Arrives to Inspire Young People In This Region to Embrace Entrepreneurship and to Connect Regional Businesses

2009-10-08T01:34:32Z

From November 16-22, 77 countries across six continents are coming together to celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week. This is an initiative to inspire young people to embrace innovation, imagination and creativity. To think big. To turn their ideas into reality. To make their mark.

Global Entrepreneurship Week, Sacramento, is an initiative to inspire young people in this region to embrace entrepreneurship and to connect regional businesses. For the second year, Global Entrepreneurship Week is coming to Sacramento and is expected to reach thousands in the region.

Global Entrepreneurship Week, Sacramento, will include the following:

Monday: The Kick-Off – featured keynote speakers Sheri Fitzpatrick, founder and president of
Nov 16 The Berry Factory, and John O’Donnell, Vision Service Plan’s (VSP) first president and CEO; entrepreneurs’ showcase; speed networking.
Venue: CSUS Alumni Center
Time: 5:30pm to 7:30pm

Tuesday: The Talk – creative & interactive discussion hosted by The Urban Hive.
Nov 17 Venue: The Urban Hive, 1931 H Street
Time: 7:00pm to 9:00pm

Wednesday: The Pitch – experience the next big pitch by student entrepreneurs to panel
Nov 18 investor judges, with a showcase of the newest technology being created at CSUS.
Venue: CSUS University Ballroom 1
Time: 5:30pm to 7:30pm

Thursday: Social Media – workshop on integrating social media with business
Nov 19 Venue: TBD
Time: TBD

Friday: The Wine/Down –wine and cocktail mixer at the L Wine Lounge
Nov 20 Venue: L Wine Lounge, 1801 L Street
Time: 7:00pm to 9:00pm

This year, SACE, a student entrepreneurship organization at Sacramento State University is teaming up with local business partners to host these 5-day not-for-profit events.

The listed events are FREE and open to the public on a first-come-first-serve basis. Companies can still participate in this global movement in Sacramento by contacting Mark Hand.

Register: gewsacramento.eventbrite.com
Sponsorship and Partnership: Mark Hand at info@sacramentogew.org or 916-207-3526
Official Website: www.gewsacramento.org
Additional Listings by SacGew, LLC: www.sacgew.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/gewsacramento
Twitter: @GEWsacramento

A day at the Spa - A girl’s dream come true!

2009-10-06T23:33:23Z

Up at the crack of dawn, get the kids ready for school, remind the husband for the umpteenth time of the honey-do list he has conveniently forgotten about for weeks now.

Traffic - when will people learn to drive? I skid into work, annoying office stalker looking at her watch. Emails – oh, look the boss wants me to redo work I have already completed because he didn’t bother to do his job and provide me with all the information I needed. Lunch - day dreaming with the girls about spending a day at the spa and promising each other that one of these days we were going to do it, because we deserved it. Sound familiar?

I finally got to have my day and was it all that I had dreamt it would be? Yes! Yes and no. Let’s start from the beginning:
It’s my 34th birthday, a very hip salon and spa in midtown has requested my husband’s DJ services for Second Saturday. As any conscious woman would do, I bargained for a trade. I was so excited and beaming for weeks! I was going to the Luxe Salon & Spa on 2115 J Street for (count them) five hours of spa treatments. This girl’s dream is coming true!

I arrived promptly at 2 p.m. for my first appointment with stylist Elisa Ramirez. Sweet, friendly Elisa wanted to know everything about my hair, from what my plans and goals were with my hair to what kind of shampoo I used.

On the agenda for the day was a gloss and cut. I had never done a gloss before and wanted to give it a try. Elisa recommended the proper shade and set about applying the solution. The gloss offers a deep conditioning and illumination of your hairs’ highlights and natural color. This gloss application will last for six weeks as long as you use good shampoo and conditioner. Elisa was very informative and I felt even more educated about my hair when we were done. Elisa did a fantastic job on my cut and I highly recommend her!

Next, a spa manicure and spa pedicure, oh yeah! My manicurist Vanessa Callison was running just a bit behind and so I was asked to wait on the lavish chairs in the lounge area. I was offered a glass of wine or any beverage of my choice. What the heck, it’s my Spa birthday so I had a glass of red wine.

Vanessa, a strikingly beautiful woman, sat me down in the pedicure chair once the water was ready. Easy and fun to talk to, she kept me engaged the whole time. I wanted a different look to my toe nail color other than my normal plum red and she recommended a two-purple combination, one with glitter. It is very cool and I love them. I am not big with polish on my finger nails so she buffed them to a high gloss and shaped them wonderfully. Next time I will pay closer attention to how she did it.

And then, aesthetician Monica Claiborne was right there to lead me into her very tranquil and soothing room for a Luxe facial and eyebrow wax. By this time I was working on my second glass of wine and was nicely relaxed lying in a cozy bed. Monica did one massaging motion with I Image Skincare creams after another with swirling warm towels in between.
Her fingers circled my face and shoulders providing a different sensation with each cream. I really enjoyed it. Per my request she used a hard wax for removing my unwanted eye brow hair, good for sensitive skin. I purchased a trial kit of the I Image Cream and have found my skin looking better.

And finally, I was escorted to massage therapist Lindsey Hazell for a 90-minute Swedish massage. If you are not drooling by now, you should be. Lindsey has the hands of an angle and elbows, too. Between the calming background music, two glasses of wine and Lindsey’s hands from the gods, I was in the deepest meditation ever. Oh, and then the warm towels laid over the area she just massaged was absolute heaven. When she finished with me I was in the most relaxed state I have ever been.

So yes, it was all that I dreamt a day at the spa would be like and yes, I would highly recommend Luxe Salon & Spa on 2115 J Street in Midtown Sacramento. No, you cannot have my husband.

Luxe Salon & Spa
2115 J St - Midtown
916-443-1400

www.luxe-midtown.com

Don't Send Money to the Business Filings Division

2009-10-06T21:55:15Z

If you run a business or work with a nonprofit group, you might have received a letter recently from the Business Filings Division, located at 980 9th St., 16th Floor in Sacramento. Although it says "Business Mail - Important Notice Enclosed", underneath that it also says "This is not a government document".

You wouldn't know that by looking at the form that is enclosed. It is an official looking form that looks suspiciously like a form from the California Secretary of State's office and demands that you remit a payment of $235.00 by October 15th! They also include frightening information that says you will face fines and penalties and perhaps even a dreaded suspension.

But at the bottom of the form it also says "THIS PRODUCT OR SERVICE HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED OR ENDORSED BY ANY GOVERNMENT AGENCY". So why is some business sending you a form and asking for money? Because this is a scam my friends.

A quick check of the California Secretary of State's office website shows that they know of this scam and warn folks to ignore them.
"The Secretary of State's office has been advised that solicitation letters are being sent to California businesses encouraging them to comply with their California Corporations Code filing obligations by submitting fees and documents to a third party rather than by filing directly with the Secretary of State's office. These solicitations are not being made by the California Secretary of State's office and are not being made by or on behalf of any governmental entity."

So who is behind this? That is very difficult to say. A web search of the company name shows hit after hit of other sites which call this company a scam. A phone call to them yielded no answer. But one of the sites showed that a company called Regus rents virtual offices at the address on the envelope, 980 9th Street, 16th Floor. There is a local phone number on their website, but a call there proved fruitless as well.

"It's not my place", said Vickie Bose, a manager at the Regus facility. "I'm not allowed to give out the name of the manager of the Business Filings Division."

Another call to the national office of Regus, located in Dallas, Texas, did not give us any more information on exactly who these Business Filings Division people are. A young man named Sarwat (who wouldn't give his last name) said that they don't divulge information about their clients because of privacy reasons. He gave me another phone number which lead to voice mail hell.

Why can't the company that rents a virtual office to Business Filings Division give us any information? If they are aware of the fact that Business Filings Division is running a scam trying to get scared business owners to pay them money for something that the Secretary of State's office says is unnecessary, why are they renting virtual office space to them?

An email has been sent to their corporate offices as it looks as though that might be the only way to get any information as apparently the Regus Company has given the gag order to all their employees.

Strong-mayor idea scoffed at town hall

2009-10-06T21:36:54Z

Participants at last night’s town hall meeting on the city charter expressed their skepticism about Mayor Kevin Johnson’s strong-mayor initiative and raised questions about the mayor’s potential voting power if the initiative passed.

During the discussion portion of the meeting, members of the Charter Review Committee confirmed with the audience that if the strong-mayor initiative were to pass, it would immediately create a 9th District whose council seat would be held by the mayor, until a new councilmember could be voted in, in 2012. The mayor would continue to get one council vote, in addition to executive powers including the power to veto and ability to appoint the city manager.

“That’s like a hulk mayor, it’s more than strong,” said Constance Slider, one of the night’s most vocal participants.

Slider, a lifetime Sacramento resident and director for a policy advocacy group, said she had concerns about the current mayor attempting to “change the system in mid-stream and co-opting the office.”

“You don’t need to change what’s not broken,” she said

Slider added, “We need to explore the cost in potential litigation [of the strong-mayor initiative], and as a tax-payer I’m not prepared to bear the burden of that.”

About 30 community members from around the district six area gathered at Tahoe Park Elementary School to hear the Charter Review Committee explain the differences between the strong-mayor initiative, and committee’s alternative charter amendment recommendations to be delivered to the city council next month.

Most of the committee’s tentative recommendations would leave the current charter intact, but would amend it to allow the mayor to appoint the city manager upon confirmation by the city council.

“Some people say this is a modest proposal,” committee member Alan LoFaso said of the tentative recommendations, “But small changes have significant impact on what the roles of the city’s government members will be.”

LoFaso, who helped guide the evening’s town hall meeting, said the public is just starting to become engaged in the details of the proposals.

“We need more time to get involved in the changes we need,” LoFaso said. “There’s nothing inherently wrong with Sacramento city government that creates a crisis; we’re in the realm of small improvements.”

Originally, the charter committee had until late January 2010 to present its recommendations to the council, but the deadline was moved ahead to allow the council more time to make a final decision on how to react to the mayor-backed initiative.

Committee members directly asked the town hall attendees whether they thought the council should place a competing charter amendment on the June 2010 ballot, or spend the majority of their efforts trying to defeat the initiative through other means.

One alternative recommended in the discussion was to create ballot measure that would establish a charter commission to explore what amendments would best suit the short and long-term needs of Sacramento.

Only one town hall attendee spoke up in favor of the mayor’s proposal last evening.

Brian Salazar, a state worker and 20-year resident of Sacramento, said he believes the current system doesn’t match the needs of the city.

“I think the city council has too much power and is ineffective,” said Salazar. He added he would like to see changes made to K Street, the downtown mall, and the revitalization of the arena plan.

“The city needs to try it out for a generation,” Salazar said. “If it’s a complete disaster, [the charter] could be changed back.”

The charter review committee has more town halls and meetings planned throughout the month. More information on the meetings and amendment recommendations can be found at www.cityofsacramento.org/charter

According to the charter committee’s presentation, over 11 hours of testimony have been gathered at town halls and from academics and other government organizations.

The mayor also has an open town hall website hosted by the Sacramento Bee.

A call put in to the mayor’s office for comment was not returned in time for the posting of this article, but will be included in the comments section below when returned.

Sacramento Musician Invites Listeners To Be A Part Of A Complex Experience

2009-10-06T15:39:40Z

New Single, “Too Complex”, Offers Exclusive Incentives For Downloaders

SACRAMENTO, CA – October 6, 2009 – It seems almost too simple: record a song, mix it down, post it online as a free download, and fans now have a free song from an artist to enjoy anytime. But when every artist from here to El Segundo is following the same model, things tend to get old fast. In hopes of bypassing other artists following this same broken model, TAIS says he’s decided to release his newest single, “Too Complex” with a little more complexity this time around.

“So many people are doing free downloads nowadays, and I feel like it takes away from what free music is supposed to be,” TAIS says. “It used to be a big thing if artist gave away music, but now it just seems like so many people are doing it that listeners are on free music overload.”

So how does one bring back the exciting feeling where listeners look forward to free stuff from an artist? TAIS says it is as easy as making the “experience” of downloading a song just that, “an experience”. You see, not only will TAIS have the newest single “Too Complex” available for downloaders on October 13, 2009, there will also be a bundle of other exclusive goodies for listeners to take away from the experience. Inside the download link, fans will find album artwork, a promo video for the song, exclusive live show footage, a screensaver for phones and desktops, a ringtone, and promo codes for a discount at UnitedStateonline.com.

“I want this download to be an experience that allows people to not only get free music, but also feel compensated for taking the time to listen to my music,” TAIS says. “I know how valuable peoples time is nowadays, and I wanted to be mindful of that concept.”

As if that wasn’t enough, TAIS will also be holding a “Too Complex” contest where he will give away free T-shirts and stickers to 20 select people who download the single. To enter the contest, current and new fans can visit www.taismusic.com and fill out an official entry form. TAIS will randomly pick 19 winners, and one grand-prize winner. The grand-prize winners will receive 2 free tickets to a TAIS show with behind the scene access, a free TAIS Music Crew pack with an autographed copy of the new mixtape, and an exclusive day with the TAIS Music Crew.

“This download should give listeners a glimpse of how getting free things should feel. I’ve always loved that feeling, and I want to give that back to them,” TAIS said. “I’m also excited to welcome one of my listeners to experience firsthand the care and dedication that I put into my music and my daily life.”

To download the single on October 13th, 2009, or enter the “Too Complex” contest and read complete rules, please visit www.taismusic.com

So You Think You Can...Joke?

2009-10-06T00:01:54Z

Hey Mr. Comedy Guy,

I think I am pretty funny. I would like to try my hand at stand up comedy. Where can I go as a beginner?
-Richard "I know I am funnier than you" Joaks

Thank you for this week's question Dick, this is a nice segue into the world of Comedy Showcases and Open Mics. I am glad to answer your question as it is asked of me often. First, let's define the difference between these two types of shows because even though they are often done at the same time, they really are different.

A comedy open mic means that anyone who has a mind to, can come to the venue, register about an hour or so in advance (it is usually on a first-come, first-served basis), then go up on stage and do about five minutes of material.

A comedy showcase is a bit more selective. Yes, there are still many newbie and wannabe comics, as this is a perfect training environment and proving ground for things like timing, stage presence and character development, but the comics that perform generally have some experience under their belt and were invited back to perform.

So, if you want to perform for your friends and family, here is my advice:

Come prepared! - You need a solid five minutes of good material (as there is the possiblility that there may not be any uproarious laughter and applause to fill in the time). Write it down. Don't try to make conversation with the audience ("riff") until you know what you are doing (and then, only sparingly). If you don't have a "strong five minutes", don't come up until you do. Simple. Five minutes. Got it?
Practice - In front of a mirror. In front of your friends, family and strangers. Use your water bottle or hairbrush for your mike. Decide which hand you will hold it in as you deliver your material. Make sure you know your material (solid five, remember?) inside and out. It is not good form to giggle and say.. "Ah, let me start over".
Timing is everything - Keep your set to the agreed upon length. If you are killing the room, they will ask you to come back again, (and the audience will come back to see you!) so save some of your killer material for next time.

Do you want to watch? What about attending these shows as an audience member? If you love the audition shows on "America's Got Talent" and "So You Think You Can Dance," and like picking the next great star, then you are perfect spectator for these shows.

Just so your expectations are inline with the experience, here is what you can expect:

You will see some terrible comics! Yes, even though I am one of the greatest supporters of new talent and encourage anyone who feels that draw to the stage to go up and try it, there are people that will make you wonder, "What were they thinking? How could they allow themselves to be such a train wreck!"
You will see some wonderful comics! I have had the opportunity to see Sacramento Comics Mike E. Winfield, Tapan Triveti, Tom McClain, Keith Lowell Jensen (and many more, too numerous to list here) in the very beginning of their careers perform at showcases and open mics. You could see then that they were very talented and that not only would they go far, but you would pay to see them perform again in a longer format.
You might see a big star! Well-seasoned and famous comics often will use a showcase to come up and perfect new material. You never know who is going to show up!

Where can you find these venues? Glad you asked! Our Sacramento Comedy Clubs & Venues page and Sacramento Comedy Calendar of Events give you most of the information you need. If we have missed any, please let us know so we can add them. Showcases and Open Mics are invaluable to rounding out a vibrant comedy environment, so please support them!

If you would like to experience an open mic with a group, there is an Sacramento Comedy Meetup Group outing to the Showcase/Open Mic at Laughs Unlimited (one of the oldest established comedy rooms in the US!) this Tuesday, October 6, 2009 at 8:00 PM. Please join us Tuesday.

Keep those questions coming!

Until next week,

The Comedy Guy

Rezoning the Docks Properties

2009-10-05T05:33:00Z

The proposed Docks project nested between Interstate 5 and the Sacramento River, will be heard by the City Planning Commission on the 8th for a motion to pass the rezoning for future urban development consistent with the 2030 General Plan. City Staff will also recommend that Option B to be chosen in how the 29 acres are developed which including 1,000 residential units, 200,000 square feet of office space, and 43,300 square feet of retail space. A formal recommendation for Option B will be made the City Planning Commission next month and then the City Council for approval in December. Option B was determined to be the most cost effective plan to retain Pioneer Reservoir and build the park over the reconstructed roof. The plan proposes constructing a parking facilities underground and elevate the finished floor of the buildings to be level with the existing levee, so the natural feature of the Sacramento River will be visible to the tenants in the future buildings and to area visitors.

Ask Officer Michelle - Status of Midtown Vehicle Accident

2009-10-04T19:56:40Z

Posted by smittylove

On Tuesday, between 12:00 pm and 2:30 pm, a vehicle accident occurred on the corners of 29th & S Streets. When passing by on our way home from work that afternoon, we saw the remains of the accident. It looked like a pickup had run over a motorcycle, causing the motorcycle to rupture the gas tank on the pickup and both were burned to a crisp. My husband and I would like to know if anyone died in that accident?

Dear Smittylove,
There was a vehicle accident at 28th and S Streets on Tuesday involving a truck versus a motorcycle. The motorcycle slid under the truck causing the vehicles to catch fire. The motorcyclist fell off prior to the bike being wedged under the truck. The rider was taken to an area hospital. When officers spoke to him at the hospital, he was alert and appeared to be in good spirits. As for the driver of the truck, he made it out before the fire. He was fine and took a cab from the scene.

Apparently the accident looked a lot worse than it was, and your concern was understandable.

Officer Michelle

Roll out the barrel

2009-10-03T05:35:47Z

Sacramento Turn Verein celebrates its 42nd Oktoberfest tonight and Saturday, Oct 3, starting at 3pm.

Good beer, brats and dessert! And you don't have to be German to have fun!

Here's some shots from Friday's event:

Sacramento's Turn Verein is located at 3349 J Street. It's a huge double story hall.

Lots of room to have fun drinking beer, dancing and singing!

Check out http://www.sacramentoturnverein.com/history/ for information.

Photos | Kati Garner

October 2009

2009-10-01T21:20:31Z

INCLUDED IN THIS E-NEWSLETTER:

• Burr’s Fountain Celebrates Its 20th Anniversary – Today
• Charter Review Committee Town Hall Meetings
• My Views on Reforming the City Charter
• McKinley Rose Garden Master Plan Update
• SHPS/ Mercy Construction Update

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Alkali Mansion Flats Neighborhood Clean Up – October 3rd
• Ben Ali Neighborhood Clean Up – October 3rd
• Compost Seminar- October 3rd
• Sacred Heart Parish School Fall Festival – October 3rd
• Albie Aware Blues for Life Event – October 4th
• Friends of Grant Park Midtown Children’s Fair – October 4th
• Theodore Judah Harvest Festival – October 23rd
• California Montessori Project Harvest Festival – October 24th
• Friends of the River Banks – October 24th
• Midtown Halloween Trick-or-Treat – October 31st

NEIGHBORHOOD & BUSINESS ASSOCIATION NEWS

Burr’s Fountain Celebrates its 20th Anniversary – Today

On October 1st, Burr’s Fountain celebrates its 20th anniversary celebration. As a thank-you for all the years of customer loyalty, Jim Burr, founder and owner of the old-fashioned ice cream soda fountain is offering up opening day-priced kiddie cones for $0.75 and 20% off all dine-in bills on October 1st. Join me in congratulating the good people of Burr’s at 5:00 p.m. when I present a City Council Resolution.

It was the summer of 1989, when Jim Burr noticed that the shop on Folsom Blvd. and 49th street was vacant and inquired about the property. He wanted to sell Vic’s ice cream and have a similar-style shop to the Land Park landmark but also add a few things to the menu. Initially, he wanted to call the place “Vic’s” but someone told him to put his own name out front and to take pride in what he was doing. It was mere coincidence that his name happened to conjure up thoughts of all things cool. Since then, Burr’s Fountain has become a cornerstone of the East Sacramento community, acting for many families as a surrogate home kitchen. Most patrons are relatives, friends, and neighbors so it’s never a surprise to run into familiar faces. The friendly workers are an assortment of high school and college students who grew up with sunbursts and grilled cheese sandwiches, literally “Burr’s kids.” Burr’s gives back to the community, participating in community events including our very own Pops in the Park concert series. Burr’s has donated thousands of dollars in proceeds for improvements to our East Sacramento parks and neighborhood.

Charter Review Committee Town Hall Meetings

In February 2009, the Sacramento City Council adopted a resolution creating the Review Committee and directed them to review the current City Charter and make recommendations for possible amendments. The Sacramento Charter Review Committee has developed a Draft Report recommending changes to the Sacramento City Charter. They want to hear your input and have already held several Town Hall Meetings. Several more will be held in October. The meeting scheduled in Council District 3 will be held on Thursday, October 8th from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Caleb Greenwood School, 5457 Carlson Drive in River Park.

The Committee is scheduled to present their final report to Council on November 3, 2009. A first supplemental report with recommendations regarding the issues of Full Time Mayor, Full Time Council, and Ethics Commission will be presented to Council on December 1, 2009, and a second supplemental report regarding the Elections Process including ranked choice voting, instant run-ff voting and proportional representation will be presented to City Council on January 19, 2010. For more information about the Charter Review Committee or for additional meeting dates visit www.cityofsacramento.org/charter

My Views on Reforming the City Charter

Here in Sacramento, there has been a tremendous amount of public interest in reforming the City Charter. Similarly, an increasing number of people want to see major reform of the State Constitution. Two reform camps have emerged in both cases. Of course, all of this is taking place against the backdrop of tremendous economic upheaval and debate over fundamental policy issues like health care and climate change at the federal level.

At the local level, Mayor Johnson’s committee has collected enough signatures to qualify a so-called “Strong Mayor” ballot initiative for the June 8, 2010 Primary Election. Meanwhile, the City Council appointed a Charter Reform Committee, composed of citizens appointed by each Councilmember and the Mayor plus two at-large appointees, who are scheduled to make recommendations to the Council on a possible alternate charter reform ballot measure in November.

At the state level, one group is pushing a series of constitutional amendments geared towards resolving the perennial legislative gridlock. Key features include reducing the budget vote threshold from two-thirds to a majority or 55%, creating an open non-partisan primary, and taking legislative redistricting away from the partisan Legislature. A second group is pushing a more radical restructuring that would involve the convening of a State Constitutional Convention. The convention delegates would be determined randomly in the same manner that jury pools are chosen. Pretty much any and everything that does not violate the U.S. Constitution could be up for grabs at such a Convention.

Because I was elected as your City Councilmember, I’ll leave for another time and place the discussion of state issues and focus instead on City Charter reform. Besides, the Mayor’s proposal has generated enough controversy to fill this column and more. Even the question of when the initiative should be scheduled for a vote was controversial. But the state budget and state laws and regulations certainly have a major impact on local government and our communities, and cannot be ignored.

Because I voted with the Council majority to schedule the “Strong Mayor” initiative for the June 2010 ballot, some people mistakenly believed I support the initiative. That is not true. I do not support the current initiative because it does not provide adequate checks and balances on Mayoral power. In particular, I am concerned about the initiative’s giving the Mayor authority to hire and fire up to 800 City employees and to oversee all contracts. Another issue is term limits. Most cities with strong mayors, other than Chicago, have term limits for the Mayor.

But the merits of the initiative were not the issue before Council. Whether one agrees or disagrees with the initiative, it automatically qualified for the ballot by obtaining at least 32,433 (15%) valid signatures of duly qualified electors of the City. In fact, over 60,000 signatures were gathered, and the County Registrar verified that the petition exceeded the minimum threshold of valid signatures. Therefore, the only issue before the City Council was the timing of the election. The established process in California is for a qualified initiative, whether state or local, to be placed on the next scheduled election. This is a time-honored policy in a direct democracy state like California. The initiative supporters initially tried to gather signatures in time to put the initiative on a special ballot in 2009. However, given the high cost of a special election (roughly $1 million), the supporters slowed down their signature gathering process and instead turned in their petition with a request for the next regular election, which is June 2010. Meanwhile, initiative opponents argued that the initiative should not be scheduled until the November 2012 election.

Both the City Clerk and the City Attorney stated at the City Council meeting on August 6, 2009, that in the history of California, there was only one known example of a qualified ballot initiative that was not placed at the next regularly scheduled election. In that case, the Huntington Beach City Council placed a ballot measure on the next general election in November, rather than the primary election in June. Their decision was upheld in court as being legal because the timing of the election was not important to the initiative and there were valid public reasons for waiting 5 months until November. There were no known cases of a ballot measure ever being deferred four elections, as was recommended by initiative opponents.

Another reason for voting on the Strong Mayor Initiative in 2010 is that people should know what system is in place when they next vote for Mayor in June 2012 when the next Mayoral election occurs. At that time, Sacramento voters will know whether they’re voting on a strong Mayor or a traditional Mayor under the weaker, shared Council-Manager form of government. If we wait to hold the election until 2012, we won’t know when we next vote for Mayor which system will be in place.

Finally, if a ninth Council district is added as recommended in the Strong Mayor Initiative, we can use the 2010 Census numbers to develop district boundaries in time for the 2012 election.

In conclusion, I look forward to a vigorous debate at Council over the recommendations of the City’s Charter Review Committee. Hopefully, a community consensus can develop around an alternative measure to counter the Strong Mayor Initiative that has already qualified for the June 2010 ballot. After 100 years, I am sure there are some charter changes that are appropriate for Sacramento. After all, the City’s population was only a fraction of what it is now, and Oak Park, Curtis Park, Land Park and East Sacramento were the far-flung suburbs back when our current governance structure was created. I hope you will join me in that effort.

McKinley Park Rose Garden Master Plan Update

The McKinley Park Rose Garden Master Plan is scheduled to be heard by the Parks and Recreation Commission on Thursday, October 1st, 7:00 p.m. at Historic City Hall Chambers. The item is tentatively scheduled to go to Council on Tuesday, October 27th, 6:00 p.m. For more information about the Master Plan, visit http://www.cityofsacramento.org/parksandrecreation/parks/sites/mckinley_rg_plan.htm

Mercy/SHPS Construction Update

Soil remediation of Chlordane and Dieldrin on the school site was completed in
mid-September. Classroom building rough in of electrical, mechanical and fire
sprinkler system took place. Site underground utilities and framing and rough in
of the Multipurpose Building started at the end of September, and winterization of the site will begin soon in preparation for the rainy season. At Mercy General Hospital, tunnel work between the Mercy Medical Plaza and Hospital is expected to be completed November, 2009. An Ambulance Canopy on the northeast corner of the Hospital also is expected to be completed November, 2009. Excavation for the south part of the Alex G.
Spanos Heart & Vascular Center basement will begin shortly thereafter.

The last Neighborhood Advisory Committee (NAC) meeting for 2009 is November 17th at 5:30 p.m. at the SHPS Cafeteria.

For updates on the Neighborhood Traffic Management Plan (NTMP) visit
www.cityofsacramento.org/transportation/traffic-engineering/mercy-ntmp.html or contact Debb Newton at 808-6739 or dnewton@cityofsacramento.org. For questions or concerns regarding construction, please feel free to call the construction hotline at 552-6931.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Alkali Mansion Flats Neighborhood Cleanup – Saturday, October 3rd

The Alkali Mansion Flats Neighborhood Association are also sponsoring a clean up On Saturday, October 3rd from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Volunteers will meet at Globe Mills between 8:45 am & 9 am. Coffee and donuts will be provided by the neighborhood. For more information, contact Janine Martindale at 808-7186.

Ben Ali Neighborhood Clean Up – Saturday, October 3rd

The Ben Ali Neighborhood Association will be sponsoring a cleanup on Saturday, October 3rd at 9:00 a.m. The meeting place is the Plover School. Neighbors will focus on cleaning up around the school as well as debris and trash in the ditches around the neighborhood. For more information, contact Verlene Castoreno at funyun501@juno.com

Compost Seminar – Saturday, October 3rd

A free Compost Seminar will be held on Saturday, October 3rd, 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at Southside Park Community Garden (5th & W Streets). Learn how to turn yard waste into compost and improve the health of your soil. This free seminar includes a how-to lesson, a special compost recipe and the ability to purchase a Biostack compost bin for $65 (retails for $129). The seminar will also feature a special lecture on various topics that will help your garden continue to flourish all year long. Composting is great for flower and vegetable gardens and can help conserve water and recycle yard waste. No reservations are required for the seminar.

Sacred Heart Parish School Fall Festival – October 3rd

The Sacred Heart Parish School Fall Festival will take place on Saturday, October 3rd from 11:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. at 3933 I Street. The festival features games for people of all ages, musical entertainment, great food and a raffle.

Albie Aware Blues for Life Event – October 4th
Join the Albie Carson Breast Cancer Foundation celebrate 10 years of helping women diagnosed with breast cancer by attending the Blues for Life Event, on Sunday, October 4th from 2:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at the Torch Club, 904-15th Street, Sacramento and adjacent parking lot in the rear. The event will feature 10 live bands, Pasta Cook Off with Local Italian families, Celebrities, professional Chef Judges, People's choice Awards, Raffle, and Silent Auction. Tickets can be purchased for $15.00 in advance and $20.00 at the Door. For ticket information, call 443-2797 or 927-1592.

Friends of Grant Park – Midtown Children’s Fair – Sunday, October 4th

The Midtown Children’s Fair in Grant Park will include crafts, music and a show presented by an exciting puppet troupe, “Voice of the Woods” and will be held on Sunday, October 4th, 12:00 noon to 3:00 p.m. For questions, contact friendsofgrantpark@yahoo.com

Theodore Judah Harvest Festival, October 23rd

The Harvest Festival at Theodore Judah Elementary, 3919 McKinley Boulevard, will take place on Friday, October 23rd from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and promises to be more exciting and bigger than last year! There will be carnival games, scarecrow contest, live entertainment, balloons and face painting and plenty of other activities for the kids of all ages. This is a fun family event to share with the family, neighbors and friends. Roxie Deli will be selling grilled premium aged steak sandwiches as well as hamburgers and hot dogs. This year there will be community services information to benefit all families. All the teachers’ booths will be offering different games to play. Admission is free. All the games cost 25¢ or 50¢ each. The proceeds will go toward the student’s classroom supplies and classroom field trips.

California Montessori Project Harvest Festival – October 24th

The California Montessori Project 3rd Annual Harvest Festival will take place on Saturday, October 24th from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at 2718 G Street.

Friends of the River Banks – October 24th

This month Friends of the River Banks will meet on Sunday, October 24th at 10:00 a.m. at Sutter’s Landing Park to welcome the salmon back to the American River. Special guest, Rick Adams, a tribal historian and museum cultural specialist from the Maidu Interpretive Center, will entertain with story-telling and Native dance, song and music. There will also be river craft activities. As always, remember to dress appropriately for waterside activities and bring a snack and bottled water. For more information, contact Robert Sewell at rlsewell@earthlink.net

Midtown Halloween Trick-or-Treat – October 31st

The Midtown Business Association will sponsor the annual Halloween Trick-or-Treat event around Sacramento’s Midtown shops and businesses on Saturday, October 31 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Look for posters displayed designating businesses as a place to stop to trick-or-treat in the area from J to L Streets, 16th to 27th Streets. Entertainment and activities will located at Relles Florist at 2400 J Street and the 1801 L Street Lofts courtyard (enter through the stairs at the middle of the block on L between 18th and 19th Streets). The City has provided a parking “freeze”: free parking at metered spaces and no time limit enforcement. However, red and loading zones, fire hydrant and handicap spaces WILL be enforced. Fore more information visit www.mbasac.com

NEIGHBORHOOD & BUSINESS ASSOCIATION NEWS

Alkali & Mansion Flats Historic Neighborhood Association. Meetings are held on the Second Thursday of each month, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Boys & Girls Club, 1117 G Street. For more information contact Sean Wright at (916) 806-8198.

Ben Ali Neighborhood Association – Next meeting: General Membership on Tuesday, November 24th, 6:00 p.m. at Plover School Cafeteria.

Boulevard Park Neighborhood Association (BPNA) and Marshall School Neighborhood Association – Board Meeting – Second Thursday of the month, 7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. For more information, contact Rob Sperling at 444-8147.

East Sacramento Chamber of Commerce: Second Wednesday of each month at various locations, 12:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m. Cost $15. For details call Lisa Schmidt at (916) 457-2721.

Hagginwood Community Association: Next meeting: Wednesday, September 2nd at 6:00 p.m. at the Joe Mims/Hagginwood Community Center, Tower Room, Meeting Room 1. For more information contact: Bill Maynard, Chair, 508-6025, sacgc@ulink.net or Barbara Stanton, Vice Chair, 927-7446, barbs992@earthlink.net.

McKinley East Sacramento Neighborhood Association (MENA): Board meeting open to the Public, First Wednesday of each month, 7:00 p.m. at Shepard Garden and Arts Center in McKinley Park. Contact: Joe Chavez at chavezjoseph@comcast.net

Midtown Business Association (MBA) Board Meeting – Third Wednesday of each month - 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. – 1400 29th Street. For more information, call 442-1500.

River Park Neighborhood Association – Third Thursday of each month, Block Captains 6:30 p.m., RPNA Board 7:30 p.m. at Geneva Room in the Fremont Presbyterian Church at Carlson Drive and H Street. See www.riverparksacramento.net

Midtown Neighborhood Association – For Updates visit www.sacmidtown.org

Area 1 NRT – Next meeting: Monday, November 16th, 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. (preceding NAG) at Hart Senior Center, 915 27th Street.

Area 1 NAG – Next NAG meeting: Monday, October 19th, Pizza at 6:15 p.m. at Hart Senior Center.

Area 4 Community Partnership Meeting – Next meeting: Monday, November 9th, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. at Robertson Community Center.

Area 4 NRT – Monday, November 9th, 6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. (preceding Community Partnership meeting) at Robertson Community Center.

Digital Diva to Display New Work in October

2009-10-01T20:51:17Z

Art work that has only been exhibited at the Barrick Museum in Las Vegas and at the NadaDada Motel Show in Reno, will finally be seen by Sacramento art lovers. Ann Tracy will show work from her Motel Variations series in light boxes, as well as new work, at the Enotria Annex, 1439 Del Paso Boulevard (at Arden Way), Sacramento, CA 95815. A 2nd Saturday reception will be held on October 10, from 6 to 9 pm during the Uptown Arts Walk. For more information call 916-804-6095.

Tracy has been active in Sacramento arts circles for over 15 years, beginning with her work (theatre and installation art) at the now defunct IDEA gallery in the old Oak Park Fire Station. In 1994 she founded Beyond the Proscenium Productions and in 2005 she started the artist-run cooperative Asylum Gallery. The jump back into visual art came in 1994 when the death of an artist and friend in 1994 that spurred her to begin to get her work out into the public eye, in the form of poster design and graphic arts. And it was the encouragement of artists like Esteban Villa (member of the RCAF-Royal Chicano Air Force and former CSUS art professor) and photographer Art Luna that pushed her even further into making more art and getting it out there.

Her fine art has been exhibited from Japan to Maui to New York City. In 2003 her work, “Stop” was included in the catalog of the “Violence Against Women” exhibition, Group 78 Amnesty International, Tokyo, Japan. Her digital painting “Message 3” was juried into the 2008 edition of “American Art Collector”. Recent exhibition highlights include solo shows at Asylum Gallery and Luna’s Café, all in Sacramento (2008). Recent group shows include: “Synthesis: Art & Science”, Escondido Municipal Gallery, Escondido CA (Invitational- 2009); “NadaDada Motel”, El Cortez Hotel, Reno NV (2009); “The All Saints Show”, Barton Gallery, Sacramento CA (2009); “Greetings From Nada Motel”, Barrick Museum, UNLV, Las Vegas NV (Invitational-2009); “Urban Legends and Country Tales”, International Juried show, Bonita Museum & Cultural Center, 4355 Bonita Road, Bonita, CA (2008)

Her work is also included in the following web projects: “Me & My Shadow” http://www.selfshadows.com/ open project created by Javier A. Bedrina, Madrid, Spain; “The Bile Rose in Her Throat” - The Art Project: Artists Respond to Terrorism http://www.theartproject.net/ and “Merce Would be Proud” - Digital Pocket Gallery http://www.ikatun.com/digitalpocketgallery/june_pocket_list.html#Ann_Tracy

The Sacramento Press Journalism Open starts today!

2009-10-01T04:40:22Z

How many times have you read a newspaper article and said, "I could have written that"?

Well, now you can. For nearly a year, you have been able to do that on The Sacramento Press, where everyone can try his or her hand at writing a news story, and be published instantly, on the Web. That will continue to be the case, as the Press grows its audience and a small army of community contributors that now numbers more than 500 people.

But for the month of October, The Sacramento Press is sweetening the pot: Not only can you write stories, have them copy-edited and posted on our site. Now you can win, and win big: The Sacramento Press Journalism Open is offering prizes of as much as $500 for telling the stories that only you can tell.

From midnight Thursday, October 1 to the end of the month, The Sacramento Press Journalism Open welcomes writers, professional and amateur alike, to compete for cash and prizes. No story is too small, no subject too obscure. But more than that, we want you to try your hand at making a mark on your community by telling the stories that you know and no one else does, about events, people, businesses, cultural curios and...well, anything you want!

We want to see Sacramento through your eyes, your words, your pictures. And so do thousands of your fellow Sacramentans, who read the Sacramento Press every day.

There's much more to say about the contest. Please visit the Sacramento Press Journalism Open landing page and find out more about this month-long event and how you can enter. It is as easy as a blog post, as free as the air we share, and as challenging as you want it to be. Tell us about your community and the people in it, and gain an audience of thousands who you never thought you could reach - with your very first post.

We're waiting to read your stories.

Commit your acts of journalism now!

Our new navigation bar

2009-09-30T21:38:11Z

One of our goals here at Sacramento Press is to make our content as accessible as possible - and to do that, we've chosen a look very similar to a traditional newspaper. We've even tried to recreate the newspaper's division into sections - sports, politics, culture, etc.

Those sections show up on the green bar that runs across the top of the Front Page of the Sacramento Press. We call it the "navigation bar," and it is designed to get you easily to the stories you want to read. To do that, we've listed our "sections" in the nav bar, one click of which will take you to a new page, laid out like the Front Page.

But we may have gotten a bit ahead of ourselves. Although our content is growing nearly as strongly as the numbers of readers we have coming to the site, we still don't often have enough content to fill up the "splash pages" that those names promise. If you click on Sports, for instance, you are more likely to get a list of all the stories that have been tagged Sports by either writers or readers.

Which is fine - you can see all our recent stories on any subject - but our goal is to have every "section" under the nav bar come up as a new laid-out page. We want you to go deeper into the site, beyond the Front Page. But to do that, there needs to be more laid out. And we're getting there, but we're not there yet.

Our hope is that very soon - perhaps this month, as The Sacramento Press Pro-Am Journalism Open begins on Thursday (Oct. 1) - we will have so many stories, written by so many members of the community, that we will have to start laying out new section pages for all manner of subjects. It really comes down to what you, our readers, decide to contribute.

In the meantime, you can still search the site by tags that reflect your interest, whether it be sports or music or city services. Just enter the tag in the search field at the right side of the nav bar, and in addition to the search results, you will get a list of all the stories we have published that were tagged with that subject.

But we've decided that as we want our look to mirror our content as much as possible, and to keep things simple and streamlined. To that end, we've taken down three of the "section" titles in the nav bar that we rarely lay out: Crime, Sports and People. We will still cover these subjects, but won't be laying out pages dedicated to them in the near future.

One of the first additions to the nav bar is a section about the Journalism Open, Open 2009. Over the coming month we will continue to lay out new contributions from citizen journalists as the contest unfolds, as well as updates from Sacramento Press editorial staff.

We will also take advantage of the flexiblity of the nav bar to put up special sections that will lead you to a page display of stories on a particular subject, mirroring our Storyline feature. This is the Web, and flexibilty is a given; we want to make sure that there's also a sense of solidity to the site as well.

I've laid out a section on the stories we've run recently on Sacramento County's ongoing budget crisis. Reporter Kathleen Haley has, just by herself, written more than two dozen stories on the subject in the last few months. We will feature just a handful here, so know that even a whole page devoted to a subject is just the tip of the iceberg. We plan to go deep into the subjects we cover.

To see these nav bar changes, you must log out and log back in, or if you're not a logged in user of our site, just refresh the page.

So keep an eye out in coming days and weeks for new featured "sections" in the nav bar. Because as with all of The Sacramento Press, you never know what you might find there.

Bye bye mural?

2009-09-29T22:51:50Z

Headed towards the Elks Building along J St. to meet my sister for lunch, I walked on the sidewalk below one of my favorite murals in Sac. Some material was falling to the ground. I looked up and saw the mural is disappearing.

Does anyone know what's happening on this side of the building? This is the west wall of Tony's Deli and Catering, and the wall to the east of the Elks Building.

Photo | Kati Garner

East Sac Logging

2009-09-29T01:41:09Z

Driving to the Post Office along J Street this morning, I noticed a "detour"sign posted at 43rd St due to road work. Glancing down the road I saw deep piles of greenery and limbs blocking the middle of the street.

And there was a huge crane in the midst of it.

So I drove down another street to M St, approached 43rd, and then drove about a quarter of the way down it and parked, all the while keeping one eye on the crane.

I couldn't quite figure out what was going on at first when I saw this:

Is it a really really really long chainsaw blade thinning out the trees near the road?.

Then I looked at it from this angle:

Then it all came together once this happened:

There's one guy up in the tree with ropes, directing the segments of the tree being

cut to be hauled out.

Each segment weighs around 8,000 pounds and is carefully laid onto the street

and placed into a truck bed to be hauled away. The limbs were put through a

woodchipper onsite.

Being taken out is a redwood tree which has three HUGE branches. When the current owners of the white house

bought it 50 years ago they were told by the seller that their son had a small redwood in dirt, growing on the fireplace

mantel. He planted it to the side of the house as it got bigger.

As the picture shows it is extremely close to both homes.

The lumberjack adjusts the cables for the removal of the segment on the right side.

It took a lot of chainsaw power on both sides.

Up up and away it goes.

Crews from Maxim Crane Works and Arborwell worked together. A stump

grinder finished the job once the tall parts of the tree were gone.

Photos | Kati Garner

Award Winning Actor/Educator to Offer Classes

2009-09-28T22:42:35Z

It doesn’t matter if you’re an actor with lots of experience, or a newbie just testing the waters, actress Katie Rubin has got you covered in her eight-week studio scene study class. Rubin’s class, which starts October 11th and runs through November 29th, is every Sunday from 10 am to 1 pm at California Stage, 1719 25th St (at R St.) in Midtown Sacramento. Rubin’s class uses Meisner and other acting techniques in that it will start with a group exercise and then students will present scenes. The cost is $200 for the entire session or $25 per class. A $25 discount is available if students prepay prior to the start of the session or if they bring a friend. For more information email Rubin at klrubin@gmail.com.

Rubin should be well known to Sacramento and San Francisco area theatre patrons as she has performed at Capitol Stage (she opens in the premiere of SPEECH & DEBATE by Stephen Karam on October 2), B Street Theatre, Sacramento Theatre Company, The Purple Onion, Café OFF Market, and at Glide Memorial Church. She is also a playwright with several shows to her credit and the solo show, Insides OUT!, which she has performed from San Francisco to New York City in various venues.

Rubin has a 10-year background teaching acting, vocal work, scene study, text analysis and character development including a two year stint at UC Davis teaching undergraduate students. She has a BA in Theater and Dance from Amherst College and an MFA in acting from US-Davis. She is the recipient of the Edward Poole Lay and the Roland Wood awards for the creation of new work for the theatre.

“My gift is in my ability to intuit and see what is happening both internally and externally for individual actors”, said Rubin. “I can effectively articulate what processes I think might help to create a more functional moment on stage. That is to say, I can see what is happening internally for an actor on a relatively subtle level, and I have an ability to articulate what I think could happen differently for THAT actor such that the scene might work better, or the intimacy might grow, or the actor might "get it," or the honesty of the scene might reveal itself more fully.”

In New York, she studied acting at The Wynn Handman Studios at Carnegie Hall and in Los Angeles, she studied The Viewpoints and Suzuki Actor Training with Anne Bogart's SITI Company. Rubin made her television debut as a law student on A&E's 100 Center Street with Alan Arkin. Her writing credits also include two plays commissioned by the Health Education Department at UC Davis and she is developing her second solo show, tentatively titled “Windows In, Indecision Collision”.

Ask Officer Michelle - DUI Crackdown!

2009-09-27T17:34:22Z

Have you ever been driving down a highway and noticed a vehicle swerving or observe that the driver seems to be over-compensating while driving? You believe that this driver is DUI. What do you do? Call 911. Chances are you are dialing from a cell phone. The call is immediately patched through to CHP, who is exactly who you want to report to when driving on the freeway. If you are in the city limits, you would call 732-0100. Check out your local law enforcement agency to obtain the cell phone emergency number. You will know if you are in the city limits if the street signs are green. The county usually has white street signs.

Following the success of the “Click It or Ticket” campaign, the Office of Traffic Safety is working with local law enforcement with the “Drunk Driving, Over the Limit, Under Arrest” campaign.

During this campaign, agencies across the country will be cracking down on impaired drivers. In 2008, for the first time since 1998, alcohol-involved fatalities dropped by 5.2 percent. High visibility enforcement has proven to be an extremely valuable deterrent helping greatly in this effort.

You as the community can help us in catching drunk drivers. If you see a vehicle who you suspect is being driven by a drunk driver, call us. Be prepared to give the license plate and a description of the vehicle and the driver. Dispatch will want to know your location, and the direction the vehicle is traveling. The more information you are able to provide to the dispatcher, the better. He or she will then make a broadcast to all units in the area. The units can then begin looking for this vehicle to perform a vehicle stop.

Never follow a vehicle too closely. Drunk drivers are unpredictable. Their reaction times are slower; they are often times unable to judge distance to speed ratios, and swerve/make frequent lane changes. Just act as the best possible witness possible.

Ask Officer Michelle - The Mounted Unit is Trotting Along

2009-09-21T04:13:50Z

Posted by silverdog91

I would like to find out more about Sacramento’s mounted unit.It’s hard to find out information past that there is one. I would like to see if a tour of the barn might be possible. Anything you could tell me would be wonderful.

Respectfully,

Mary

Dear Silverdog,

Our full-time Mounted Unit was formed in 1997. Prior to that, the unit consisted of officers on a part time basis, using their own personal horses for special events. It has evolved into a five-person unit. There are currently 3 officers working in the unit. An ordinary work day is usually Tuesday through Sunday or Monday through Saturday. If there is a large event being held downtown such as the Jazz Festival, or Gold Rush Days, they will all work together.

The department tries to purchase horses, usually Quarter horses that are uniform in color. Dark, chestnuts, and buckskin colored horses are preferred. Flashy paints and light colored horses aren’t usually used.

As far as a tour goes, you can request a ridealong in the downtown or east areas of Sacramento. You can ask the officer you are riding with if you have time to stop by the barn. Hope this answers your questions.

Officer Michelle

Welcome to The Sacramento Press Journalism Open!

2009-09-16T00:14:43Z

We're so glad you're interested in The Sacramento Press Journalism Open! Not only can you win some great prizes, you can also have an effect on your community and gain some skills in the bargain! Contributing to our site is quick and easy - we can show you everything you need to know to take the act of making journalism into your own hands!

I'm David Watts Barton, the managing editor of The Sacramento Press, our area's top hyper-local, citizen-written news website, where we focus on up-close, in-depth coverage of neighborhoods like yours. We aim to spread the traditional habits of good journalism - accuracy, fairness and a diversity of opinion - across the Web. We do it with a mix of professional and amateur writing from around the community.

We're hosting this contest because we want you to join us! The future of journalism may depend on you: Your ideas, your questions, and the answers you find will increase the amount of good, local information you and your fellow citizens need to make informed decisions, whether it's about city government or where to go for entertainment. And once you've asked the questions you want answered, we want you to write for The Sacramento Press - because citizens like you are The Sacramento Press!

This contest is a pro-am, where writers of all skill levels and points of view are welcome to write about what you know and about what interests you.

We urge you to think small: The blighted vacant lot on your street, the business person you patronize, the leader you admire, the trend you abhor, the community group you support, the artist living above you, the band rehearsing next door. What don't you understand about your neighborhood? What's great about it? What's changing? These questions will lead you to more questions, questions will lead you to people you don't know, and people will lead you to stories that need to be told.

We're here to help: In addition to providing the platform to publish, we also offer copy editing and workshops on various aspects of journalism, from interview techniques to the use of social media. We will do everything we can to help you create the best journalism you can!

And don't forget the prizes! For more on that and on how to enter your work in The Sacramento Press Journalism Open, read on!

Join us in the first Sacramento Press Journalism Open. And remember, we are here to help you commit the best acts of journalism you can! Contact us at The Sacramento Press: To utilize our free copy editing, simply e-mail your story to journalism@sacramentopress.com and we'll send the edited version back to you. Colleen Belcher, journalism support manager, is at colleen@sacramentopress.com. Managing editor David Watts Barton is at david@sacramentopress.com.

Prizes

Journalism as a profession has taken its lumps lately, but there's still money to be made, especially if you win one of the many prizes offered in The Sacramento Press Journalism Open!

Our Grand Prize winner will enjoy a weekend for two at The Village at Squaw Valley and a meal for two at world famous PlumpJack restaurant. We'll even throw in $50 for gas money!

Our contest's first-place winner will get $500 and an original portrait of themselves by Wall Street Journal sketch artist Noli Novak; second place receives $250 and third through fifth places, $100.

All winners, including the 10 additional winners in the more specific categories below, will win a Sacramento Press journalism kit that includes an Olympus digital recorder, a bio-degradable pen, a reporter's notebook and a stylish Sacramento Press T-shirt.

Winners will be announced on Monday, Nov. 16, 2009.

How to Enter

Simply go to the top of this page and click the "Sign Up" button and follow the prompts. You will be asked for information and to sign off on our terms of use agreement. After you are signed up, click the "Write" button at the top of the page and start writing!

We suggest that you write your story in a separate writing application and then, when you've finished and had it copy edited, cut and paste it into our site.

We encourage you to take advantage of our free copy editing before you post your article. To get your story copy edited, e-mail it to journalism@sacramentopress.com.

Important: Every story you enter/post on the site must be tagged "Open2009" in the tag section. Just write those words in the space provided.

Hit "Publish" and you have posted your first story on The Sacramento Press. You've also been entered in The Sacramento Press Journalism Open!

Categories & Criteria for Judging

Entries will be judged by our editorial staff, and that judgment will be subjective. But we will be using criteria for what we think good journalism is. Among those criteria are:

Accuracy: Facts, spelling and quotes should be correct. Double-check everything and use your computer’s spell check.
Writing style: Writing should be clear, concise and enjoyable.
Local focus: Stories should be set in Sacramento, Yolo, Placer or El Dorado counties.
Sourcing: Include a minimum of two living, breathing sources in your story. Aim to include different perspectives. Wikipedia, about.com, press releases and book or newspaper excerpts are not acceptable sources.
Impact: Your story will also be judged on how readers react in the conversation on The Sacramento Press, as well as how it is received in the real world.

Stories can be any length, but they must be original non-fiction about the Sacramento area.

Stories may not be re-posts from blogs or other publications, print or online.

Ten additional prizes will be awarded to stories that succeed in various areas, as judged by our staff of professional journalists:

Best lede (opening paragraph)
Most original story idea
Best-researched article
Best "get" (unusual story or difficult-to-get interview)
Most widely read story
Most community interaction (in conversation section)
Best headline
Best quote
Best use of the Storyline feature
Best accompanying photos

All entries will be eligible for all these categories, as well as the top prizes.

Rules

To be eligible, stories must be posted on the site, by you, between 12:01 a.m. on Oct. 1, 2009 and 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 31, 2009. We will help you post from Thursday, Oct. 1, 2009 at 10 a.m. through 6 p.m. until Friday, Oct. 30, 2009; you may come to our office during weekday business hours (M-F, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.) to post on our computers. You may enter as many different stories as you like, but please enter/post each story only once! Make sure to tag it "Open2009" in the tag section or it will not be counted as a submission. There is no charge to enter. We will shred and recycle any entries that come in on dead trees - we're an online newspaper! Again, you must post the story yourself.

Entries will be judged by The Sacramento Press' editorial department. Decisions will be final.

We want you to win! We offer copy editing and advice on reporting. There will be a workshop on Oct. 13 to help answer your questions. Be careful that you're happy with what you've written; once it is published on the site, it cannot be modified.

You must live in one of our four home counties, and be at least 18 years of age.

Ask Officer Michelle - What's a Neighbor To Do About Doggie Landmines

2009-09-14T02:08:15Z

Posted by originalgabriel

Hi Officer Michelle

I’ve lived in my current house on G Street for a bit over a year an in that time, a new neighbor in the apartment building two doors down has moved in. She has a dog who she just lets out her door to go to the bathroom. Being the closest house with an accessible yard, her dog makes a b-line to my house to go to the bathroom. Now, we’ve confronted her a few times and have asked her to, at the very least, follow her dog out and clean up after him but, despite her promises, it never happens. And every time we go out to do yard work, mow the lawn, etc. we’re greeted by "doggie land mines". Is there anything we can do about this?

Dear originalgabriel,

There certainly is….get your camera out and snap a photo of the dog leaving its deposit on your lawn. Call Animal Control at either 311 or 264-5011, and make a complaint. You will need to have the address of the offender’s owner. Animal control will send an animal care worker out to the address to speak with the owner. If the problem persists, the dog owner will be cited. Additionally, the landlord may not even allow pets. The landlord is another way to go. There’s nothing worse than stepping in a dog’s business. Good luck!

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Best Way To Help Police and Stay Safe

2009-09-06T15:55:17Z

Posted by Sorren

Hi Officer Michelle!

I’m a twenty one year old college student at Sac State, and I notice a lot of gang-activity in my area.. sometimes it’s just loitering, other times it’s visable drug-dealing, but it’s often hard to get anyone there in time, because the people involved usually leave right away, so I wouldn’t want to waste an Officer’s time by calling them down there to see an empty parking lot and no way to prove what went down.

I know Cops don’t like civillians medelling in what they do, but I feel that as a witness to some of this stuff, it’s my responsibility as a citizen to do something. I am (obviously) interested in law enforcement, but not ready to decide whether I want to start down the path of being a Cop myself..

I was wondering, would the Sacramento PD find it acceptable for me to like sit in my car and video tape criminal activity so that I could notify the police? Or something similar? is that discouraged or illegal in any way? I hate gangs, I hate drug dealers, and I want to help the Cops in any way that I can, IF I can. How can I become more actively involved without becoming a Law Enforcement Officer?

Dear Sorren,

I share your sentiment about gangs and drugs. I worked narcotics for several years and saw what drugs can do to people.

I would suggest you call our Narcotic Tip Line at 808-5796 and leave a message about the activity you are witnessing. Be specific. Give license plate numbers or vehicle descriptions if you have them, suspect descriptions, times of day you are seeing this, etc. One of our investigators will receive the information and process it. They can go from there.

As far as you videotaping these activities, it is not illegal, but could be dangerous for you. If they discover that you are taping them, they may become violent, and oftentimes, these are not nice people to tangle with. If you have a legal right to be somewhere, you can tape it, but there can be civil ramifications if you post any footage on public sites.

I would advise to you act as the best possible witness you can be, while staying safe, and call us. If the crime is in progress, you can still call 264-5471 to have an officer dispatched. If they leave before we get there, you can always call us back to let us know they’ve left and are no longer on scene. We appreciate when the public gets involved as our eyes and ears when we aren’t there. Thanks for your comment.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - An Obsessed Ex-Boyfriend Won't Move On

2009-08-31T02:55:22Z

Posted by presleyfan70,

I am concerned that my daughter’s ex boyfriend may hurt my daughter. A few years ago, they were dating, and he broke up with her when he turned 18. She is now dating one of his ex friends. Her ex has been following her, after I specifically told him to leave her alone. He logged onto her yahoo, myspace, hotmail accounts and changed her passwords and usernames to “Hell is coming for you 666″. His profile on his myspace was updated to depressed, planning, plotting, wanting to kill, plan figured out, insane things. I do not think he is in his right mind, but he continues to follow her and seems to know where her new boyfriend just moved to a week ago. I am concerned that his state of mind may provoke him to harm her or even worse. I would like to know what I should do, file a restraining order, talk to his parents, and how to go about it. I am afraid that if I don’t do something, it may be too late. Please tell me what I should do!

Dear presleyfan70,

First, run to the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office and file for a restraining order. The restraining order will allow law enforcement to arrest your daughter’s ex if he violates it by either contacts with her via email, telephone, or in person. Secondly, if he is printing things like “wanting to kill,” or is planning on hurting himself or others, he meets the criteria of a mental subject. He can be placed on a 72-hour mental hold. Print out the information that he is writing and call the police in your jurisdiction.

From the information you have given me, it also sounds like he is stalking your daughter. You will want to tell the district attorney’s office this when you file for your restraining order. Did I mention…hurry? He sounds dangerous. You need to take action. Keep me posted.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Blocking a Resident's Driveway Makes for a Quick Tow-away

2009-08-24T02:43:04Z

Posted by bambam05

Hi I have some neighbors that are constantly blocking my driveway by about 3 feet. I’ve talked to them on more than one occasion and have almost hit their car yet they continue to do it. Is there anything I can do about this or am I just stuck with jerks?

Dear bambam05,

This is annoying and 3 feet definitely doesn’t allow you to get your vehicle out of your driveway. This is a towable offense. California Vehicle Code Section 22500(e) states, “In front of a public or private driveway, except that a bus engaged as a common carrier, schoolbus, or a taxicab may stop to load or unload passengers when authorized by local authorities pursuant to an ordinance.

In unincorporated territory, where the entrance of a private road or driveway is not delineated by an opening in a curb or by other curb construction, so much of the surface of the ground as is paved, surfaced, or otherwise plainly marked by vehicle use as a private road or driveway entrance, shall constitute a driveway.”

If you live in the city, call the non-emergency number at 264-5471 and tell the dispatcher that your neighbor’s vehicle is blocking your driveway. They’ll send an officer out. Chances are the neighbor will come out and move the car. This may be the wake-up call they need. I’ll be willing to bet that they won’t block you in again. Good luck!

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Credit Card Info Lifted at Restaurant

2009-08-17T15:03:22Z

Posted by PoliticsAsUsual
I have had my debit card information (not the actual card itself) stolen and used fraudulently out of state twice in less than two months. Most recently, on Saturday. It seems to me that someone at a local business, restaurant, etc. where I use my card is gathering my debit card information and then selling it to people out of state. I understand that given the major budget cuts to police, this type of crime will probably fall down the list of priorities, but I was curious if SacPD has officers that investigate this type of crime who can pinpoint where the financial information is being illegally taken.
I’ve heard that waiters at restaurants, when running someone’s debit/credit card, will lift the card data and sell the information, is this common in Sacramento?
Thanks for any comments, help, etc.

Dear politicsasusual,

What a nuisance! I have heard about the method whereby waiters lift credit card data and sell it. The main factor is proof. It is suggested that you watch the waiter do the transaction with your card. It only takes one time to get burned before you become hyper-vigilant.

What you need to do is, if you live in the city, is to file an online information report with us. Explain what happened and the last time you used the card before it was compromised. Give as much detail as you can remember. You will be given a case number that you can use when you contact outside agencies and banks. You would then have to contact the jurisdiction where your card was used. I spoke to the investigators with our Financial Crimes Division. They receive reports from out-of-state agencies for similar reasons quite frequently. They informed me that your bank needs to know about this as well, and that they have internal investigators who will investigate this. The banks will sometimes reimburse you for these fraudulent charges as well.

Cancel your credit card…which you probably already have. You also need to check your credit with the 3 national credit companies, Experian, Equifax, and Trans Union. I was reprimanded by the Financial Crimes Sergeant for not doing this myself every six months. You may be surprised what is on your report! Good luck!

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Reporting indoor Marijuana Grows

2009-08-09T16:28:59Z

Posted by caringparent

After listening to the news and all the raids that have taken place in Sacramento of homes that are growing pot, how does one go about reporting a possible “pot house”, anonymously? I have some info of such a place, but I want no repercussions…I have a family to protect, which is why I am doing this in the first place. I believe in the law and do not agree with what this individual is doing.

Dear caringparent,
To anonymously report narcotics activity occurring in the city of Sacramento, citizens can call our 24-hour Narcotics Tip Line at (916) 808-5796, or they may submit an anonymous e-mail via our website: www.sacpd.org. (Go to the heading, File Online Reports, click on Suspicious Activity and Crime Tip Form). The more precise and exact the information, the better we can follow up on your tip. Callers can leave their names and/or phone numbers for follow-up contact by detectives, but by no means are they required to.
Most of the surrounding agencies also have narcotics tip lines. The Sheriff’s tip line number is (916) 874-9056.

The tip line and the web-based tip forms provide absolute anonymity to the complainant. However, much of what we can do with “anonymous” information is limited by court decisions. With anonymous information, we are able to check our information systems and determine if a suspected drug dealer is on parole or probation, and work with their parole or probation officer.
It is more helpful when a caller is able to provide his or her name and a call back number because we are able to legally do more with complaints that are not anonymous. Be assured that we recognize the sensitive nature of narcotics complaints and always protect the identities of our sources of information. We will not come to your house and your confidentiality will be maintained.

I hope this information is helpful.
Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - An Ex Makes Threats on My Space

2009-08-02T23:21:01Z

Posted by presleyfan70,

Dear presleyfan70,

Officer Michelle

Midtown Sexual Preditor Arrested

2009-08-01T02:38:17Z

The Sacramento Police Department has arrested 32-year-old Domingo Vargas for two different sexual assaults.
On January 25, 2009, at around 1:00 a.m., a female was walking on K Street between 19th and 20th Street when she was grabbed, knocked unconscious, and dragged into a parking lot. The suspect then raped the victim before fleeing the scene.

On June 7, 2009, a female fell asleep in her vehicle in the 1300 block of Del Paso Boulevard. The victim woke up to a subject on top of her. The victim was able to yell for help and got the assistance of a security guard who chased the suspect away.

Based on evidence processed by the Sacramento County District Attorney's Forensic Lab we were able to determine the identification of the suspect responsible for the January 25 rape as being Domingo Vargas. The Police Department then was able to use further forensic evidence to link Vargas to the June 7 attempt sexual assault. Vargas' photo was not released because of the possibility of additional victims that may need to identify him in a photo line-up.

Due to the violent nature of the crimes committed by Vargas, detectives will review cold cases to determine if Vargas is linked to any other sexual assaults.

The Sacramento Police Department urges anyone with information pertaining to these crimes to contact Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP or text in a tip to 274637 (CRIMES). Enter SACTIP followed by the tip information. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

Ask Officer Michelle - The Dog's Bite is Worse than the Bark!

2009-07-27T00:10:32Z

Posted by raventribe

My dog is almost 1 year old and I feel a need to have her trained to attack on command for protection. Is this unreasonable or unsafe? Can you recommend a school, training course, or other recommendation that I can consider? I have an offer to send her to a school on the east coast, but that means someone else will be teaching her. Doesn’t she need to be taught by me? I don’t where to look to gather factual information about this subject.

Dear raventribe,

I certainly understand your concern about seeking protection; however, there are a few things to consider when teaching a dog to attack. I can’t give you legal advice, but I can tell you that you may be opening yourself for liability (both criminally and civilly) should an accident occur. Check out the Internet about this. Not all dogs are cut out for this sort of training. It’s not necessarily the breed but rather the dog’s personality. There are several dog trainers in the Sacramento region which can answer logistical questions for you about what kind of dog is best suited for that sort of thing as well as perform an evaluation on your dog. I would talk to several of them as well as read up on the subject. You might also talk to a breed club of the type of dog you own. They will have an understanding of your specific breed.

Lastly, dogs are an automatic deterrent for crime whether they’re trained to attack or not. A mere bark from a dog can stop a would-be aggressor in their tracks. Good luck!

Officer Michelle