Q. Is it legal to carry a wooden sword in public in California? Also in schools? Sincerely Yours, Daniel A. The basic answer to your first question is “it depends.” Simply carrying around an unconcealed wooden sword is legal in California. In fact, there’s no law prohibiting carrying around a metal sword, either. A number of laws restrict or prohibit carrying concealed weapons, such as cane swords, switchblades, pen knives, and even lipstick case knives, but openly carrying a sword or stick is not expressly prohibited. It is a misdemeanor to carry a deadly weapon with intent to assault. California Penal Code § 17500. It seems likely that a sturdy wooden sword could be considered a dead

It was a very tough decision to choose the winners of The Sacramento Press 2012 Journalism Open. Fifty-three community contributors shared 93 stories about the greater Sacramento area and the quality of submissions this year really impressed the judges. Thank you to all of you who made this year’s Journalism Open a success. The Sacramento Press judges were Casey Kirk, Director of Community Outreach, Brandon Darnell, Copy Editor and Reporter, and Colleen Belcher, Editor-in-Chief. Each story was judged on newsworthiness, research and sources, spelling and grammar and how interesting they were. Each winner could only win one prize. Click here to read the complete judging criteria. First

Valentine’s Day cards for veterans sounds like a simple enough request, but the reality is that the general population is too busy to recognize these unsung heroes. In response, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs has issued a request, and the Colfax VFW Ladies Auxiliary 2003 was eager to comply by spreading emails to everyone in the area asking for homemade valentines. In an unprecedented move, Carlo and Emma Lujan of C & E Auburn V-Twin, Inc. have adopted the request and taken it to the next level by incorporating the concept into the 32nd annual Sweetheart Run. All motorcycle enthusiasts and community members are encouraged to rally around the idea, producing a record number of cards by

In many ways, it can be tough to reconcile the very institution of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band itself with the individual talents of the men who play in it. It's a collective that has been the ambassador of New Orleans jazz for a half century - an indelible fixture of the city, and indeed, of jazz itself. It's easy to get caught up in the idea of the band and the mystique that surrounds it, and not recognize each individual (many of whom are part of an unbroken bloodline of 'Nawlins musicians) for their personal talents and accolades. Even walking into the beautifully intimate and acoustically flawless Three Stages theatre on Friday evening and seeing the "Preservation Hall Jazz Band

Q. What’s going on at the Law Library? There is yellow caution tape across the stairs to the second floor, which is closed to the public, and there’s a whole lot of banging and clanging going on up there! Ted D. A. Sorry about the noise and disruption, Ted! We’re doing our best to keep it quiet, but the sound you hear coming from the second floor is the result of having workers dismantle our rather large shelving units--we’re preparing for our move to a new facility about two blocks on the other side of the courthouse. The Law Library and Civil Self-Help Center will be closed starting at noon on Friday February 10. We expect to open in our new location at 609 9th Street (corner of 9th &

Since Keith Smart took over coaching duties last month, the Kings have had very little practice time and never had everyone on the roster available for a game. Things changed this week when the Kings were able to get more time in between games to work on their new game plans. Add that to a healthy Marcus Thornton returning to the lineup and, wham-o!, a team with real possibilities has emerged. After being down at the half by nine and being throttled by LaMarcus Aldridge the entire time (19 points on 9-of-11 shooting with five rebounds), Smart changed up his formula in guarding the Blazers standout forward which led to a terrific third quarter as the Kings held on the beat the pesky Portl

Just moments after Wilco’s enigmatic guitarist Nels Cline had peeled the paint off the walls inside UC Davis' Mondavi Center with a little psychedelic freakout on "Impossible Germany," front man Jeff Tweedy pulled out the line of the night: "You know, something just occurred to me - the guy yelling 'Free Bird!' might help explain the pepper spray incident." Ohhh, too soon? Tweedy asked that too, amidst the smattering of "ohhh's" and groans that were peppered (zing!) in with the laughter and the applause - although there seemed to be a resounding agreement that a little aerosol Tabasco to the face would be an appropriate response for a guy who apparently still thinks it's cool or funny t

With Susan G. Komen facing a landslide of criticism for withdrawal of funding to Planned Parenthood, one Sacramento non-profit, Albie Aware Breast Cancer Foundation continues to support women in a 10 county area of Northern California through their fund raising efforts. “For the last seven years, Albie Aware has served women possibly facing breast cancer by raising money to fill a need…a gap, if you will, in our health care system. Simply put, standard tests may not detect breast cancer and prescribing more thorough expensive diagnostic tests such as PETscans is not medical protocol, not covered by insurance, and too often cost prohibitive to many patients,” said Founder Doug Carson. Sad

Now that Eric Smith, (not real name) a 17-year-old foster child, has been declared a dependent of the court, he is on a mission to change the laws that regulate CPS. “No one should have to go through what I did,” he said, citing his nine months in CPS custody last year. “They treated me like I was a villain, instead of a victim. Why? Because they can.” Eric wants to see that stop. Just shy of 18, Eric is not yet able to fully tell his story. But that is not stopping him from writing letters to political officials and child welfare groups, recounting his experiences and proposing legislative changes. And what he can tell of his story, he does. On April 1 2011, an emergency CPS social work

Larry Ottoviani officially lost his job after seven years with the 7Up Bottling Company for doing the one thing that helped him counteract the anxiety in his personal life. That one thing was feeding hungry cats. “I love cats and don’t like to see them go hungry,” Ottoviania said. “When I’m feeding cats I can forget everything else for awhile.” Ottoviani had been warned several times by his supervisor not to feed the cats. The official termination notice dated Jan. 4, 2012, stated that Ottoviani violated his “last chance agreement not to feed the cats on company time and/or company property.” While Ottoviani does not deny feeding cats, he denied doing so during company time and on comp

Free enterprise is the basis of the American Dream but what happens when there isn’t a large enough demand? Sukhwinder Aujla owns KMM Cab Company, the second largest taxi company in Sacramento, and has been driving for ten years. “Sacramento isn’t that busy. There’s not very many local customers. Our business depends very much on cab fare from the Convention Center.” Fredrick Pleines Jr. owns Yellow Cab Co. of Sacramento, the oldest taxi company in Sacramento, and has a different view. “Our bread and butter is shorter runs,” Pleines continues, “We try to operate leaner and meaner.” Typical fares might include someone who needs to get home from a dental appointment or has a daily commut

The American Heart Association (AHA) held its 2012 Start Training Team Kickoff on Saturday at the California Family Fitness Center in Folsom. The event included health screenings, nutritional and health information as well as a series of mentor and inspirational speeches. This year’s run/walk half marathon will be held at the American River Parkway on April 28. Participants are required to raise a minimum of $500 through writing letters, email campaigns and personal fundraising websites. The goal for this campaign is $100,000. By the kickoff meeting, a little over $6,000 had already been pledged. Start Training is a team training program for AHA half marathon participants of all levels

City Council representative for District 4, Rob Fong, will not be running for re-election. With no incumbent running, the race has attracted four candidates who may be unfamiliar to Sacramentans. In the interest of learning about these candidates, a questionnaire was sent to them asking for a brief (less than 100 words) response to a list of topics. The list of topics included items which have been frequently discussed by the District 4 communities or at council meetings. Topics included river crossings, city budget, marijuana dispensaries, strong mayor, leaf piles, arena funding and other city policies. The goal is to give readers a brief introduction to candidate positions at this earl

Darrell Corti, owner of Sacramento’s beloved Corti Brothers, is an old fashioned and trusted shopkeeper. He is an expert in the production and history of the food and beverages he sells in his artisanal grocery and ensures that his staff is well trained to carry that knowledge to the customer. Corti handpicks the majority of his specialty products in his extensive travels and during biweekly wine tastings. He also utilizes his relationships with local artisans.  Sebastian Bariani, co-owner of Bariani Olive Oil, is an artisan producer in Sacramento who has known Corti for 19 years. "We have a long relationship with Mr. Corti. Corti Brothers was the first retailer to buy our olive oil," s

If you think breast cancer is all around you – be it a diagnosis, or a friend, neighbor, or loved one who has been diagnosed, you would be right. If it seems like women are developing breast cancer at a younger age than ever, you would be right about that, too. According to the American Cancer Society, 2011 saw over 13,000 women under the age of 40, who were diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States. One thousand, one hundred and sixty of them lost their battle with the disease. When women under the age of 50 were included, the number jumped to over 65,000, with more than 5,000 women succumbing. Nationwide, a total of over 280,000 women were diagnosed with new breast cancer cases,

In the Mayor’s “State of the City” address he focused on two important and interconnected areas: jobs and education. The Mayor also spoke about making the impossible possible, a message that resonates with many citizens today. With unemployment at record highs (8.5% in the U.S., 11.3% in California and 11.1% in Sacramento) and prevalent low academic performance in the U.S. (compared internationally) and in California (compared to other states), the impossibility of the “American dream” is all too real for far too many people today. Still, all hope is not lost. There is a sense of urgency sweeping the nation and jobs and education are two very hot topics swirling in the media. There is a fe

We typically define a hero as someone who has accomplished extraordinary feats: saving lives, curing a disease, a star athlete or other legend. But what of the everyday heroes? The ones who inspire us, who love us, who teach us the kind of person we want to be. The person we look up to at five years old, our faces upturned, eyes shining bright. The quiet heroes. Anthony (Tony) Ivanovich was born in Sacramento in January 1923 and left this world just this last October. Tony would have been 89 this month, just one year away from his dream of celebrating his 90th birthday aboard a private train car. Tony volunteered at the Sacramento Railroad Museum for 30 years, sharing his passion of trai

Blood and Thrills and Chills, Oh My! - The Sacramento Horror Scene Through A Friend Of The Genre Adhorroration [ad-horror-ey-shun] – noun 1.A fervent and devoted love of horror. 2.The act of paying honor and homage to horror. 3.The only term to describe my personal love for horror, thanks to the Sacramento Horror scene. I've loved horror since I was a teenager (unless you count that peek at “Nightmare On Elm Street” that I was privy to as a child). Sure, I was enthralled with “Ghostbusters” when I was little, and even the nightmares couldn't dissuade me from watching it again. I wasn't allowed to watch scary movies as a kid, so I was actually a late bloomer when it comes to one of my

Ben Jaffe couldn’t quite remember the name of “that big record store” he visited the last time Preservation Hall Jazz Band visited Sacramento, rehearsing for the jazz ballet suite “Ma Maison,” performed at the Mondavi Center back in November. He did remember that it was “right downtown,” and it occupied a large corner. Not hard to determine that we were discussing The Beat. “When you walk into places like that, its like, ‘thank you, Lord!’” Jaffe emphatically proclaimed. “You need human interaction - in society we’ve become more and more isolated,” he said, ruminating on the eternal feud between the comforting smell of a house of vinyl and the ever-increasing prominence of MP3s. “Even t

The growing season is over. In the California capital, dead autumn leaves lay heavy on the damp, manicured lawns of Sacramento City College as students learn that through death, something else will eat. City Farm, Sacramento City College’s organic urban farm, concluded its first semester cultivating students into stewards of the land outside of Lillard Hall on Dec. 2 with an experiential learning experience—naturally recycling organic waste to create healthy, valuable, nutrient-rich compost for the next growing season. “It's also called ecologically intelligent design,” says Robyn Waxman, City Farm faculty coordinator and graphic communication instructor. “Instead of taking, making and