Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "People"

Valentine's Weekend Events in Sacramento

2012-02-09T20:29:23Z

Looking for a special way to turn your Valentine’s Day into a memorable holiday? There are myriad options out there, but here are a few highlights for the upcoming weekend:

For the foodie (Fri & Sat 6pm): Let GrubCrawlUSA's Pre-Valentine's Sexy Singles Mingle & Consensual Couples Crawl take you on a taste-tastic tour of Sacramento's finest dining spots. Whether you’re single or paired up, there’s a spot for you—Friday is aimed toward singles & Saturday to couples (so, presumably, if you find someone on Friday you can make a return tour on Saturday!).

For the single lady (Fri 9pm): Stroll Now 100.5’s Mile of Men at The Park Ultra Lounge and take your pick from the area's most eligible bachelors. Stay for the afterparty and get your photo snapped in the photobooth manned by Nicholas Wray.

For the sporty sort (Sat 7am): Rise & shine Saturday morning and get your jog on at Race for Justice: 9th Annual Valentine Run, which begins from Country Club Plaza. This fun run has a kids' race component, plus a costume contest for dogs & humans alike!

For the musical type (Sat 10pm): Make your way to Vega's Nightclub & Sports Bar this Saturday night for Valentine's Heartbreak Hotel. Not only you will you enjoy live music by Barrel Fever and the Fortunite Few, you'll also get to see a live burlesque show and participate in a free pin-up photoshoot by Bad Bones Photography.

For the animal lover (Sun 10am-4pm): Head over to the Sacramento Zoo Sunday afternoon for I Heart Sacramento Zoo and watch the animals receive their Valentines, plus participate in informative talks and peruse activity tables.

For the anti-Valentine (Sun 7:30pm): Movies on a Big Screen notes that around Valentine's Day, they like to screen "some kind of movie that might make your date a little uncomfortable with your idea of romance." This Sunday evening, they feature the 1923 silent classic The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which, they claim, is a romantic movie (if you remove all of the violence, murder, mayhem, and obsession, that is).

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

Disclosure: Written by Sacramento365.com Assistant Editor, Alison Kranz

Film Review: Big Miracle

2012-02-03T07:41:41Z

Big Miracle
Directed by Ken Kwapis

One film this week has noteworthy political content and the most surprising thing is which film it is. From a casual distance, “Big Miracle” looks like a very generic animal rescue story, essentially “Free Willy” x2.5, as assorted people try to help two adults and one juvenile whale escape from behind an ice barrier in the Beaufort Sea. It’s based on a true story of an event that captured national attention in 1988, and the film makes use of news footage from that period, with every major network anchor commenting on the situation as it unfolds.

It also embellishes the story with various formulaic characters and circumstances, including a love story, a somewhat precocious local boy, and an evil “big oil” tycoon. The basic storytelling is no less unsubtle than the recent “The Muppets,” for example. However, what’s surprising, and where the movie manages to shine on some level, are the moments during which several of the major players’ motivations are explored.

It would have been very easy to show involvement from the White House as being a matter of national pride or jingoism, especially in a movie aimed mostly at kids, but it’s described as much more of a compromise of conflicting interests. This was the end of the Reagan administration and we’re given staff who want to send Reagan out with an episode that might help cover for a bad environmental record, while also boosting (the senior) Bush’s election chances, but only if it won’t go bad and cause an even larger stain on the legacy. Similarly, we’re shown conflicts involving the use of a Russian icebreaker ship (in reality there were two) and standoffs between the political interests and Greenpeace (as embodied by an activist played by Drew Barrymore).

Another episode depicts the oil company boss (Ted Danson) being manipulated by his wife into realizing that he can appear friendly to the environment in a way that will probably make it easier to rape it later. It’s a retrospective, narrative example of ‘greenwashing’ a company’s image at a point in time that’s almost as early as the phrase was coined.

This might actually be a good movie for kids, not just as predictable entertainment, but as a way of educating them about how the media and various political interests operate. We see rival television outlets and personalities more interested in ratings than the story, and clear conflicts between local and wider cultural perspectives, along with the other interests already outlined. The film also delivers little after-the-fact nuggets, like the quadrupling of Greenpeace's membership following the incident.

As a story, it offers relatively little that hasn’t been done multiple times before, although this time there might be a little nostalgia for those parents who remember the story. But as a surprisingly nuanced examination of questionable motives, especially for a children’s movie, it exceeds expectations.

Film Review: The Woman in Black

2012-02-03T07:36:20Z

The Woman in Black
Directed by James Watkins

Daniel Radcliffe has made nine theatrical movies in the last decade and eight of them have been episodes in the “Harry Potter” saga. So it’s hardly surprising that when he first appears onscreen in “The Woman in Black,” you find yourself expecting his Hogwarts sidekicks to show up, or a wand to appear in his hand (not helped by an early train journey). But that slight disorientation passes and he turns in a fairly solid performance as the young father who has been sent by his London firm to settle the paperwork of a dead woman who lived in a fabulously spooky house on the far side of a remote tidal causeway.

Outside of the “Potter” films, he’s proved himself to be a versatile performer, probably more lauded on stage than on the big screen, but also willing to throw himself into almost anything as demonstrated in a recent “Saturday Night Live” (including playing the part of Casey Anthony’s yorkie). In interviews, he has described “The Woman in Black” as simply being the best script he'd read at the time he chose to get involved. And it’s a very interesting project, not just for a prospective lead actor, his fans, and genre aficionados, but also for filmmakers and those who are intrigued by the way films are made.

This is a creepy film.

I’m not an easily scared person but there was no shortage of squeals and jumpiness among the audience at the press screening. Which is only to be expected from a film about disappearing children and a haunted house. But what’s noteworthy is how that level of creepiness is achieved. There are virtually no elaborate special effects – it’s almost exclusively an outcome of camera angles, makeup, and timing. This is a $17m production that, in the hands of a different production team could very easily have cost two or three times as much, without being any better at establishing an atmosphere. And that also makes it a good pick for Radcliffe, who gets to headline a film that doesn’t require him to stray far from his comfort zone, and which won’t need to measure success in hundreds of millions of dollars.

That’s not to say it doesn’t have any problems – it does. You can’t afford to think for more than a moment about almost any of the plot details. And much of the logic appears to have been sucked into the marshes on either side of that tidal causeway I mentioned earlier. It’s a brief film at 95 minutes and it doesn’t pause to explain very much: It’s not a complicated story but we’re never told how or why Radcliffe’s character decides what to do or, for example, why residents of the local village never seem to ponder the possibility of moving away despite it clearly being the worst possible location in which to raise a family.

But for the right audience, none of that will matter. It’s creepy and it stars Harry Potter…err, Daniel Radcliffe.

Local Hero Dies at 88

2012-02-01T02:37:51Z

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 trains with all who came through the Museum’s doors.

Tony also suffered from polio since the age of two, a disease that left him without the use of his legs. He used braces and crutches to get around; for the last ten years of his life, he was left confined to a wheelchair. But Tony never let his disease dictate who he would become. With the support of his mother, Francis Sapunar Ivanovich, and later his wife, Mildred Ivanovich, Tony defied every stereotype of his time. Labeled severely handicapped by society of the time, Tony wasn’t allowed to attend school with the “normal” children. With his mother by his side, Tony fought to attend and graduate from Sacramento High School (1942), ignoring the labels put on him and proving that a handicap is not an indication of a person’s intelligence or abilities.

As one of Tony’s ten grandchildren, I grew up completely in awe of my grandfather. I thought for so long, desperately trying to think of some incredible memory of my grandfather, one that would evoke tears, laughter, and describe perfectly the amazing man my grandfather was. And I couldn’t think of a single memory. Not because Grandpa wasn’t amazing, but because all of my memories of him are more a feeling than anything else. I remember countless holidays with the entire family, Grandpa always at the center of it, always with his camera in hand, documenting our many happy and indescribable times together. When I think of Grandpa, I think of family. I think of love. I feel family. I feel love. And to me, that is more powerful than any single memory or event could ever be.

Tony Ivanovich was an inspiration to all who knew him, and especially to his family. He never allowed himself to be put in a box, to be stereotyped in any way. We all learned that from Grandpa; that is his legacy to us, to this world, to all who had the privilege to know him. But we didn’t learn it from him telling us. We learned it by watching his example, the way he chose to live his life. What made Tony Ivanovich such an inspiration was that he didn’t think of himself as an inspiration. He was just a man; a man who wanted to be treated just like everyone else. Who never wanted special treatment. Who never thought of himself as different. We can all learn from his humility. He never tried to be great. He tried to be himself. And that is what made him great. That is why he was able to touch so many lives, and truly change the lives he touched. If you never try, how will you ever discover your own self worth? Grandpa taught us worth by being himself. By never giving up. By defying every odd and breaking every rule of his time. He taught us all to be headstrong, to never give up, and live not just to break, but shatter the rules. Tony Ivanovich will always live on, in each of the lives he touched.

And I finally thought of a memory, one buried so deep it took a few days for my brain to bring it up to the surface. I remember going on a class field trip to the Railroad Museum as a kid. When we got there, I was shocked to see Grandpa acting as our guide. Every single chance I got, I was right in front of that crowd of rowdy kids, hanging on Grandpa’s every word, beaming with the chance to be near him, to hear him speak so beautifully of his passion, of trains. I made sure every kid in my class knew that was MY grandpa. And it wasn’t because he had crutches, or was different. I never thought of Grandpa as handicapped in any way. I wanted them to know because I loved him so much, and I was so in awe of him. He was my hero and I wanted him to be everyone’s hero. Later, after the field trip, Grandpa commented that every time he turned around at the museum, I was right there, looking up at him. I think he was touched by it, even though he would never say it. Tony was a man of few words, but you could hear it in his voice. You could hear it in both our voices. Grandpa and I shared so much love. He shared so much love with his entire family. His family was his life. And he will always be a part of ours. I will always be that little girl, looking up at MY grandpa, with such awe.

There should be a hole in my heart that can never be filled. But there’s not. Because Tony left us all with so much love. Though my heart aches with the loss of someone I loved more than words can describe, I cry not in misery, but in bittersweet joy. My heart is overflowing with love, for Grandpa, from Grandpa, and with the love of the incredible family Tony and Millie Ivanovich have built. I sometimes wonder what I did right to deserve to be a part of this loving family, but I thank God every day for it. And I know Tony did, too. God truly blessed all who knew him, with the opportunity to know, and to love, a quiet hero.

"The Grey" - Part 2: Interview

2012-01-27T09:23:33Z

INTERVIEW: DIRECTOR JOE CARNAHAN AND ACTOR FRANK GRILLO

[NOTE: THE INTERVIEW CONTAINS SOME MILD PLOT SPOILERS FOR “THE GREY”.]

Recently, in San Francisco, I had a chance to chat with co-writer and director Joe Carnahan and actor Frank Grillo about their new release “The Grey” which opens this week. The film, which is reviewed in a separate article, tells the story of a group of oil workers whose plane crashes in the Alaskan wilderness, where they find themselves stalked by a pack of almost mythically large wolves. Joe is a Sacramento native and we’ve known each other for several years through the local film community and the Sacramento Film and Music Festival.

As we were setting up for the interview, Joe happened to make a self-deprecatory joke about his own intelligence, which led to an interesting opening:

Tony: You see I would counter that right away. I watched “The Grey” a few weeks ago - I don’t like to read production notes before seeing a film and I knew virtually nothing going in – but I knew it wasn’t going to be “Alive” meets “Cujo”… [they both agree] … because I don’t think you’re capable of writing a script that’s that one dimensional.

Joe: Right. You may hate it for its other dimensions but it won’t be mono-dimensional.

Frank: [laughs]

Tony: The other things you’ve written – even a film like “Smokin’ Aces” which is a ‘shoot-em-up’ has a very intricate story.

Joe: “Smokin’ Aces” to me, the construct, was Iraq. I based the movie on Iraq. It starts with misinformation, it leads to this kind of heedless violence, a bunch of people who shouldn’t die do, they make a better deal at the end, and it’s over – that’s it.

Tony: Let’s come back to the war topic later. As I said, I watched “The Grey” knowing nothing about it and had to write my comment for the studio, and I said this isn’t a film about men and wolves, this is a film about life and death, and going out on your own terms.

Joe: Yes. 100%.

Tony: So, I was intrigued as to whether when you read the short story if it came out of nowhere and grabbed you or if you were already thinking of this as a subject you wanted to tackle.

Joe: No, you know what Tony, I responded to the short story because I was on “Mission Impossible 3” and I was going to quit before I was fired. I had run my course on that and here I was presented with this very simple, spare, kind of bare bones survival story - versus where I was at that moment which was a big star, big franchise, big studio, with a big budget at 33 years old and feeling I didn’t deserve any of that….

Frank: No, by the way you do.

Joe: …at the same time “The A-Team” represents me finishing that business on “MI3” – doing a big popcorn movie. So it [“The Grey”] appealed to me in every way that it could, because its simplicity was beautiful to me. But then Ian [Ian Mackenzie Jeffers who co-wrote the screenplay and wrote the short story “The Ghost Walker” on which it is based] did a draft of his own short story and I took that, and over the next 4-5 years rewrote it, fashioned it, and fine-tuned it.

[Joe continued by describing how, with the passage of time, topics which might not have developed quite so readily in a more rushed circumstance, including religion and spirituality, evolved as the story became more polished.]

Tony: So, you guys met on “Pride and Glory” [for which Joe co-wrote the screenplay]?

Frank: A little before that.

Tony: [To Frank] When this first came to you, did you see the script first or was it still an idea? How close was it to the final script?

Frank: I think it was fairly close to what we actually shot by the time I saw it.

Joe: Yes, I gave it to you in September and we were shooting in January.

Frank: Yeah. He had seen some of “Warrior” and I had said to him “I want to work with you, just whatever it is, find me something, I’ll do anything – I’m a huge fan” and he sent me this script. He said to me “January we’re shooting this movie and that’s the role!” And he could have had anybody he wanted for the role, obviously, and he said “It might take me some time but you’re doing the movie – January – don’t take a job!” And I said “Joe, I can’t…” He said “January, don’t take a job! Go gain some weight, beef up, this is what we have to do.” And there we were in January.

Tony: Although underneath something like three parkas…

Joe: Yeah – I had three parkas on but Frank didn’t!

Frank: [laughs]

Joe: You said you wanted the role pal!

Tony: It’s such a neat story and neat characters. I was interested in what drew you to it. The Ottway part [Liam Neeson’s character] is interesting – he’s watched somebody who didn’t have the opportunity to go out on her own terms and he respects that opportunity when it arises. There’s a scene in the wreckage where a guy is dying and the others are saying “You’ve got to do something” and he goes over and says [paraphrased] “You’re going to die – but that’s OK” You don’t see that often.

Joe: No. You see a lot of people killed but you don’t see a lot of people die.

Frank: In the original script – and at first I was kind of upset that we took it out – but when he says that to him, my character says “What are you doing?” But there was such a rhythm, there was such a gorgeous poetic rhythm to the connection that these two guys had that if I had interjected, interrupted, and taken it away from that, it would have destroyed the scene. And that’s my favorite scene in the movie.

Tony: It reminds me - and I don’t think this is a comparison you’ll dislike [to Joe] given that you say you don’t see people die very often - it reminds me of Giovanni Ribisi in “Saving Private Ryan.”

Joe: Which is a brilliant death scene.

Tony: It’s the best scene of the movie.

Joe: And he says “Tell me, tell me what’s wrong” and the blood is almost black and he’s asking for his mother.

Tony: And he basically instructs them to overdose him on morphine. He’s a medic….

Joe: Right, he’s a medic, he knows he going to die. But that’s … anytime there’s a Spielberg comparison, I am firmly in your camp.

Frank: I got a chance to work with him and he said when he saw that scene he actually went back and wrote more for Giovanni earlier in the movie, so there would be more of him in the movie.

Joe: Oh, wow!

[The three of us then went off on a tangent for a minute or two about Giovanni Ribisi’s career starting as a child actor in the sitcom “My Two Dads.”]

Tony: In “the Grey” it seems to me that there were at least quadruple threats: There’s the location that they’re in, there’s the lack of any kind of supplies they would need to survive in that location, the climate obviously, and the wolves. But this isn’t about the wolves, the wolves are just part of that.

Joe: Tony, you see that – but you’re literally one of the only people that has ever said that, right there.

Tony: It’s an obstacle, of which part just happens to be the wolves. They could have just been eyes in the distance and mysteriously, every now and then somebody dies and you never know how they die. It’s almost a MacGuffin.

Joe: Right – they’re as close to a MacGuffin as a traditional film like this would have. Because essentially it’s a plotless movie.

Tony: In fact, to some extent, the whole bundle of obstacles: location, supplies, climate, wolves altogether are a MacGuffin.

Joe: Absolutely

Tony: It’s just there to cause these people to think about the meaning of life.

Frank: Exactly. That’s an accurate reading of the script. You asked what attracted me to the film. As a middle-aged man – this is what I think about all day.

Joe: And also that the wolves are just a force of nature – like the cliff, like the blizzard, like the river.

Tony: Have you been following the news – the timing is really interesting.

Joe: Oh – OR7 – the wolf that’s crossed into California. Yeah, I invited him to the premiere. It’s a very elaborate joke, a very elaborate stunt when he shows up and around his neck he’s got a little pass, a VIP pass.

Frank: It’s a great story

Tony: You clearly wanted something more profound than an action film and you succeeded. But do you worry about the apparent dichotomy between what films are and how films are marketed?

Joe: You know what, Tony, I don’t because what I would like, in fairness to an audience, this is something where I’d like them to cast as wide a net as possible – to get people who are even casual genre fans, who are casual Liam Neeson fans into the theater. Because I swear to God it will become the water cooler talk for days to come. I really believe that. What I’ve said about this film, my ultimate goal, is that it plays for you for longer than the two hours it took to watch. That’s what I want – because I think so much of movies today are just disposable experiences.

Tony: I guess my question is that we’re sitting here saying this is a profound movie about life and death and the human experience….

Joe: Right.

Tony: …so do you worry that the people who do in fact want to see a profound movie about life and death and the human experience are not going to come and watch “The Grey” based on the trailer somebody’s cut of the film that makes it look like “Alive” meets “Cujo”?

Joe: No. Unfortunately, if those people you just described were in the majority, we wouldn’t all be about to speak Mandarin in the next ten years. You know what I mean? If we had that level of engagement or that level of high mindedness, without trying to sound snobbish or arrogant about it, if those kinds of people were in the majority then I think it would be a radically different marketing angle.

Tony: If you think of film classics like 1936’s “Modern Times” or 1957’s “12 Angry Men” – those were mainstream films because you didn’t have studios, indies, direct to cable, and all those kinds of things, so those were films people were going to watch. They were deep films – but they were either social satires or social commentaries. We’ve had this conversation before – now you see things like “Lions for Lambs” [written by Joe’s brother Matthew Michael Carnahan] which is a brilliant piece of writing and “In the Valley of Elah,” and films like “The Company Men” about unemployment and layoffs. I’ve heard it said that folks on the left don’t want to go and see these stories and be reminded of what they already know and folks on the right don’t want to go and get lectured by Hollywood.

Joe: Yes.

Tony: So, do you think there’s a political divide – is it that we’re telling the wrong stories or are we telling the right stories but telling them too soon?

Joe: Well listen, you mentioned “Lions for Lambs” and “In the Valley of Elah” – those are movie about hot button issues. My brother had written “The Kingdom” which in a lot of ways to me was a knock on the Saudis and the Saudi royal family. It was meant to be, not a condemnation but he was certainly taking a shot – it wasn’t just this kind of prosaic look at a different culture – he was going after them. But if you don’t mix in gunfights it becomes this almost geopolitical…whatever. I found, and I got this from my benefactor Ridley [Scott] – I loved the filmmaking in “Black Hawk Down” but it became very jingoistic. And the part about the Somalis and what they were dealing with … and I understand why that was jettisoned. I get it, but it was also a case of looking at how much more money that made than a film like “Lions for Lambs” which was more about talking points.

Tony: If you get me on “Black Hawk Down” we’ll be here all day. But “The Kingdom” and “Lions for Lambs” are an interesting comparison because they’re both good scripts and they both have a lot to say politically….

Joe: Yes.

Tony: ...and I don’t remember the box office….

Joe: “The Kingdom” made a lot more money.

Tony: “The Kingdom” has a lot of shooting and action and “Lions for Lambs” is more like a play

Joe: Yeah, it’s a three act play. It’s a play.

Tony: So if you want to have political content and you want to get something out there and you want to hit a mainstream audience….

Joe: Good luck

Tony: …do you have to disguise it as something else?

Frank: I think you do.

Joe: Oh, absolutely.

Frank: You have to, not sneak it in, but you have to….

Joe: It’s everything short of sneaking it in. It’s very difficult to come straight at somebody with that kind of argument being that political, spiritual, whatever it may be that you’re trying to tackle. In this country more so than any other in the world – we love to slap labels on as quickly possible. And if you’re doing that it’s a “specialized” kind of film.

Tony: [To Frank] In the film, you’re the tough guy’s tough guy. It reminded me of this kid I knew at summer camp who was tough and would never let his guard down – and then I saw him break down completely riding a roller coaster.

Frank: That’s a great analogy.

Tony: Did you know those guys growing up or were you that guy?

Frank: I wasn’t that guy – I was on the other end of it. But I did know those guys and I also spent some time visiting some jails around New York because I wanted to talk to some guys on the other side of that reality. And they all seemed to be the same – you’re right – it’s the big bully who goes on the roller coaster and that was my jump off point. It’s such a cool journey that this guy makes and we all know those people. And how did I get to the point where my hands are always up and I’m threatened all the time. When you’re afraid you get angry and Diaz [his character in the film] is angry all the time. Why? Because he’s afraid all the time. And it was a gift to me as an actor to get to explore this character.

Tony: The amazing thing about “The Grey” is that I don’t think there’s a weak link in the film. The problem with an ensemble movie is that there’s often a character that you want to get eaten by a wolf early on in the movie just so that you don’t get to see him for the next hour. And this movie doesn’t have that.

Joe: I think you really do come to fall for those guys and you appreciate those guys and you pull for them. And that’s as it should be.

[At this point we discussed several characters and their unusual paths in the movie, including specific outcomes for some of them.]

Joe: But there’s bravery and heroism that isn’t always obvious and that you don’t see coming from a mile away

Frank: But we can talk about this all day – this guy [his character] finally got a chance to be part of something. That’s the beauty of it.

Joe: Yeah – absolutely man

Tony: What’s next for you Joe?

Joe: If I get any real run off the Grey, if it allows me to do something else, I’d like to put all those chips toward “Killing Pablo.” For me that particular project is like this vastly undernourished orphan and I need to get this kid a meal.

Tony: That’s Pablo Escobar?

Joe: Yes. I’ve been to Colombia three times, I’ve been to Medellin three times and I love it – as attrition goes it getting pretty close. Somebody asked me why do you want to make that project so badly and I was interviewing this 78 year old man who was there at the time it happened, and I asked him if he remembered anything that day, when they got Pablo. And he said “I was sitting in my house and I thought it was an early winter thunder storm” because the level of gunfire was such that the guy couldn’t discern individual shots and I thought “I’m ****ing making this movie!”

Tony: And anything back in Sacramento – are we going to see you back in town?

Joe: Tony if I could just get, and I’ve said this before – what you need is a full time film commissioner and we need to quit dicking around. And in that City which is one of the great untapped shooting locations – in two hours you can be in the snow, you can be on the river….

Tony: And the neighborhoods can be anywhere.

Joe: Dude, the Fabulous 40’s – all you have to do is switch the cars out and you could be in the 1950’s. I would love to do it. I think the City has to get a lot more aggressive about what it wants to do. You know Kevin Johnson kept the Kings – and that would not have happened with Heather Fargo, they would have been gone. So if he can apply that kind of determination to getting movies shot there….

Tony: You know the “For Arts Sake” manager just left, this week.

Joe: Really? Well you know I’m looking for a job!

Disclosure: The author is co-director of the Sacramento Film & Music Festival and Joe Carnahan is a former special guest of that event.

"The Grey" - Part 1: Review

2012-01-27T09:22:47Z

The Grey
Directed by Joe Carnahan

The promotional materials for “The Grey” would probably cause you to believe that this is a “Jaws”-like adventure, with sharks replaced by wolves. And that’s certainly an easy way to sell a movie – but the truth is somewhat more complicated and worthy of greater respect.

This isn’t just a movie about men and wolves, and the conflict between them after a plane of oil industry workers crashes in the Alaskan wilderness. Underneath that surface, it’s more about life and death and our ability to determine our own fate. Liam Neeson plays Ottway, a man whose job is to shoot wolves and remove other threats to the men who work in this desolate place. But he’s also a man with tragedy in his past and consequently empty eyes. When the plane goes down, it triggers in him the need to survive – not so much because he has things to live for, but because he isn’t willing to let anybody or anything else dictate his fate.

It’s an interesting and quite profound premise for what might otherwise seem like a shallow action adventure. But it’s also in keeping for co-writer and director (and Sacramentan) Joe Carnahan, who tends to favor stories that are more complex than they appear.

Some detractors have complained that the behavior of the wolves in “The Grey” is unrealistic, but this isn’t a nature documentary. And the wolves themselves are not the only complication in the men’s lives, existing as they do alongside the extreme cold, remote location, and lack of supplies that they're faced with. As such, the wolves are simply a part of a bundled obstacle, and no more or less a force of nature than the blizzards and low temperatures. They exist as a test within the context of the movie, increased to almost mythical size and actions. They're simply something to be overcome - and they might just as easily have been bears, ghouls, or invisible beings.

Within this premise are some of the best on-film encounters with death – not simply in the sense of the staged violent ends that we've come to expect from the action genre, but philosophical contemplations of what it means to recognize and sometimes accept death, even when it isn’t sought out. And these are genuinely thought-provoking moments: As Carnahan himself said during a recent interview, “...it will become the water cooler talk for days to come. I really believe that. My ultimate goal is that it plays for you for longer than the two hours it took to watch. That’s what I want – because I think so much of movies today are just disposable experiences.” And it succeeds.

The outcome is quite remarkable in that he’s made a film that can satisfy those who are simply looking for a solid roller coaster action adventure, but also those who like to ponder the deeper meaning of a film and the lessons it might evoke, over dinner afterwards, or the next day. It might even cure a dysfunctional family’s inability to choose a movie that appeals to both the parents and the teenagers.

Disclosure: The author is co-director of the Sacramento Film & Music Festival and Joe Carnahan is a former special guest of that event.

Saturday: Verge Ahead into 2012

2012-01-19T20:28:22Z

Verge Center for the Arts has remained a consistent hub of creativity for Sacramento since they first opened their doors as a private art gallery in 2009. In 2010 they expanded into their current space—a 22,000 square foot warehouse in Downtown Sacramento—and organized as a nonprofit. Now home to 30 resident studio artists, plus extensive gallery and event space, Verge continues their mission of exposing Sacramento to the contemporary art and artists of the region.

2011 was a particularly big year for Verge. Among many other achievements, they had a more-than-successful Kickstarter campaign ($9,165 raised on a $7,500 goal!), won the First Place award of the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission and Sacramento Region Community Foundation’s Arts Innovation Fund, and Executive Director Liv Moe was named Arts Executive of the Year at the Arts & Business Council’s “Prelude to the Season” event.

This Saturday, celebrate Verge’s 2011 successes and help them “Verge Ahead” into 2012 at the “Verge Ahead Success Party” (6pm-Midnight at Verge, 625 S Street, Sacramento). If you have yet to check out this innovative local arts spot, there’s no better time than this!

In addition to exploring the studios of resident artists, you’ll be able to play “Art Golf” (each hole is specially designed by a Verge artist, and be sure to try for a hole-in-one at the Sac365 hole!), get your photo taken at the photobooth for instant sharing of the fun on your social media networks, see live performances by a multitude of bands (Mom, Christine Shields, Fine Steps, Gentleman Surfer, and Ganglians), and dance the night away to tunes spun by DJ Scott Soriano and DJ Hailey. If that’s not enough, arts collective Future Art Notables will take over the temporary gallery with their installation “Assorted Spaces”, which allows viewers to walk among the pieces, fully immersing themselves in the art.

And, don’t worry, tasty beer is provided for the evening by local brewers Ruhstaller, as well as coffee from Insight Coffee Roasters (each $15 ticket includes two refreshments!). Plus, receive free giveaways throughout the night, and a little something extra if you're among the first 50 to arrive.

Come enjoy this soiree and celebrate Sacramento’s burgeoning arts community.

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

Disclosure: Written by Sacramento365.com Assistant Editor, Alison Kranz

Ways to spend your MLK, Jr. Day in Sacramento

2012-01-12T21:22:34Z

Not everyone has this coming Monday off (alas!) but for those that do, Sacramento has a few options for using your day off to celebrate the man it honors—Martin Luther King, Jr.

MLK365 is presenting the 31st Annual March for the Dream, which includes a peaceful march (choose to begin from the Oak Park Community Center, Grant High School, or Sacramento City College) that convenes on the Sacramento Convention Center for an afternoon of celebration. There will be something for all ages and interests—vendor booths, kids’ crafts & activities, entertainment, an art village featuring local artists, and more.

The Crocker Art Museum is opening their doors for their free Holiday Monday program. Monday’s event—“MLK Day – Lift Every Voice”—is a music-infused celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr, with regional choirs performing throughout the day. The event concludes with a screening of Not in Our Town, a documentary about the movement to stop hate.

If you think both those celebrations look fun—and you're also looking to listen to some jazz—consider signing up for Sacramento Wine & Nightlife Tours' MLK Day Experience & Smooth Jazz Celebration. This event meets for the March in front of Sac City College, attends the Celebration at the Convention Center, and then shuttles you to "Lift Every Voice" at the Crocker. From there, the shuttle will take you out to the Old Sugar Mill to enjoy musical performances by Tony Elder & Westbound Groove, Cynthia Douglas, DJ Rock Bottom, and more. This is a great way to make the most of your day!

Also open for the Holiday Monday, though not MLK-themed, is the Discovery Museum Science & Space Center, which is celebrating the opening weekend of their new Blast from the Past Exhibit. Kids can enjoy a day of hands-on fun learning all about dinosaurs! There’s a Dinosaur Train creative play area, dinosaur bone replicas on display, a “dino-nest” photo opportunity, and a dinosaur diorama craft.

If you are looking to give back with your day off, consider one of Hands On Sacramento’s volunteer opportunities for MLK, Jr. Day of Service.

Disclosure: Written by Sacramento365.com Assistant Editor, Alison Kranz

What happens when Sheriff K9's retire?

2012-01-03T03:01:18Z

The Sacramento Sheriff's K9 Association held a fundraiser and demonstration Sunday at Pet Food Express on Fair Oaks Blvd.

Along with meeting the K9's, getting to rub a K9 belly and meet their handlers, goers had the opportunity to purchase the new 2012 SSDK9 calendar loaded with dynamic images of the dogs and their handlers by XSiGHT Photography and Video.

Ike, one of twelve active K9’s in the unit, has seen his fair share of rough and tumble, part of the job as a K9. Deputy Pomerson, Ike’s partner and handler, related how Ike went over a fence after a bad guy and punctured a lung. With the punctured lung, Ike still latched on to the bad guy until deputies apprehended the perp. Ike’s chest swelled to almost twice his normal size and he was rushed to medical care and saved. After a two week recovery, Pomerson related, Ike eagerly went back to work.

Pomerson shared tales of his partner, such as how he slides back and forth in the back seat responding to calls.

“It seems the more he (Ike) is tossed around in the back, [the] more he’s excited and ready to get the bad guy when we arrive at the scene.”

Pomerson also explained the toll the tossing around takes on the K9’s, giving them an average of five to seven workable years. When the K9’s retire, “they get to de-stress and just enjoy the rest of their life as a pet and adapt well,” stated Pomerson.

We got to tag along while Pomerson gave Ike a bath at the pet store. Even though the water was nice and warm, Pomerson agreed Ike would much rather be getting wet in the river.

When Ike retires, Pomerson will purchase him from the county for one dollar plus tax, and Ike will enjoy his retirement as the family pet. With Ike’s retirement, Pomerson will get a new K9 partner. At that time, Pomerson explained, the hardest part for Ike will be not going to work.

On their off days they do absolutely no work related things at all, and when it’s time to go back to work and Pomerson dons his uniform, Ike gets all excited.

“Even when I chirp the alarm on the car or move the car around, Ike gets all excited thinking it’s time to got to work,” said Pomerson.

A large portion of the fundraising proceeds are dedicated to the retirement needs of the K9’s who served their community. The fundraising calendar is a wonderful way to get to know the beautiful and talented animals that protect and serve our community.

If you are interested in donating and being involved with the SSDK9 association, their site has all the information and details you need to get engaged. Be sure to check out SSDK9 Association fundraising golf tournaments and marathons as well.

SSDK9 Demo/Fundraiser from SacMav Rapid Media on Vimeo.

Deputy Amos talks about the K9's>>

Say hello to 2012 at these New Year's Eve nightlife events

2011-12-29T22:06:32Z

Can you belive 2011 is practically over? New Year's Eve is this Saturday and if you're still searching for plans, we here at Sacramento365.com have gathered up some activities for you.

If you're looking for a great, family friendly New Year's Eve experience, complete with fireworks, be sure to head to Old Sac for the New Year's Eve Sky Spectacular.

But, for those of you who are looking for some adult celebrations--no kids allowed--here're a few options to greet 2012 (see even more in our Top 10 & Holiday Event Section). Sacramento nightlife is kickin'!

1. New Year's 2012 Bash with Mickey Avalon: Ace of Spades, 7pm
Hailing from Hollywood, Mickey Avalon is known to the world as one of the hottest underground American rappers and has become a fan-favorite.

2. New Year's Eve Gala: Chicago: Davis Musical Theatre Company, 8pm
Ring in the New Year with Broadway favorite: Chicago. The Tony Award winning performance of the “truth-is-stranger-than-fiction” play is opening for a special preview, accompanied by a catered buffet dinner, champagne, dessert, party favors, a live DJ, and more.

3. Townhouse New Year's Eve Party: TownHouse Lounge, 8pm-2am
On the 365th day of the year, The Townhouse presents a very special NYE party with some of your favorite DJs on both floors: Electro/House/Progressive with Mike Diamond & My Cousin Vinny & Indie/Pop/Dance with The X-GVNR (Pop Freq, Get Wet) & Jon Droll.

4. NYE at the Hyatt Regency: Hyatt Regency Sacramento, 8pm-2am
Start the evening with a cocktail in the acoustic lobby lounge listening to the sounds of Quinn Hedges and Ryan Hernandez, then enjoy a gourmet four course meal in Dawson’s, followed by the big event in Sacramento’s largest nightclub with DJ Rated R and the Cheeseballs.

5. New Year's Eve 2012: The Golden Bear, 8pm
What better way to welcome 2012 then spending your evening partying it up at The Golden Bear? There is no better way! Live and direct--DJ Crook on the 1s and 2s spinning all your favorite joints and jams. Cheers with a champagne toast at Midnight, plus take advantage of New Year's Eve drink specials all throughout the night.

6. NYE 2012 Celebration: MiX Downtown, 8:30pm
Celebrate the end of 2011 and the start of 2012 inside Sacramento's favorite rooftop nightclub and lounge, which is also celebrating its third year of amazing parties and fabulous events. Complimentary champagne at Midnight, party favors, and lush decorations get you in the mood for a hands in the air night of dancing and partying with friends.

7. New Year's Eve Bash with John Nemeth: Torch Club, 9pm
John Németh is a rising blues star; a singer steeped in the tradition and reminiscent of B.B. King, Ray Charles and Junior Parker, and a harmonica player of riveting intensity and virtuosity.

8. NYE Dance Party with DJ Larry Rodriguez: Fox & Goose, 9pm
DJ Larry Rodriguez's Dance Party celebrates its 15 year anniversary on New Year's Eve with round, warm sould & funk. DJ Larry Rodriguez is bringing some of Sacramento's favorite dance party kings Mike C. and Tim Matranga to round out the night.

9. Roaring '20s NYE: Crescent Club, 9pm
Take a trip back in time to America's glorious Prohibition Era as you celebrate the New Year with gangsters, glamour, and gambling. The evening’s entertainment includes a Speakeasy Casino, Ballroom Swing Dancing, Gypsy Jazz, Blues, & Cabaret, featuring live music by the notorious Crescent Katz.

10. D30 New Year's Eve with DJ Serafin: District 30, 9pm-3am
In addition to the innovative sound of DJ Serafin, enjoy a huge balloon drop, dazzling confetti rain, complimentary champagne toast at Midnight, delectable confections at Midnight, and complimentary party favors.

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

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

Downtown Sacramento Christmas Lights Photos

2011-12-23T20:57:51Z

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

Merry Christmas!

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

Christmas celebrations, Sacramento-style

2011-12-22T00:43:49Z

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Commute interrupted, vehicle crashes into downtown business

2011-12-13T19:29:41Z

Sacramento, CA | Busy morning Downtown commute interrupted Tuesday morning when a vehicle crashed into a building.

Close to 7:30 Tuesday morning, the busy downtown commute was interrupted when a woman driving east on J Street, reportedly felt sick and passed out behind the wheel. Her vehicle hopped the curb and crashed into "Patino Building" at 1010 J St. The driver was transported to hospital via paramedics.

Tuskegee Airmen 70th Anniversary Gala

2011-12-07T01:58:19Z

An evening to remember is an understatement for Saturday evening's gala event at the California Aerospace Museum. This fundraiser for educational assistance event was the place to be.

The Sacramento, California chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen, known as the George S. “Spanky” Roberts Chapter, had its 70th Anniversary Gala event Saturday evening. Present were the Documented Original Tuskegee Airmen (DOTA) and their wives. Also present were the widows of the DOTA's who had passed away.

19 men entered the Tuskegee Airmen Program, with five graduating flight school. These men were Col. George S.”Spanky” Roberts, Lt. General Benjamin O. Davis Jr., Cpt. Edward Woodward, Senior Master Sgt. George Porter, Chief Master Sgt. Lenard Yates, Master Sgt. George Hudson, Master Sgt. Judge Albert, Technical Sgt. Boyd Taylor, Cpt. Alvin (Jack) Johnson, Sm. Sgt. Robert (Bicycle) Wilson, John L. (Mr. Denty) Whitehead, Herman Lawson, Roberts A. Matthews, James (Big Ed) Edmundson, Fred Mclaurin, George Cheaney, Calvin C. (Cal) Hobbs, William (Wild Bill) Campbell. Eighteen of the men are listed here and at the time of posting we were still unable to locate the name of the nineteenth airman.

The tails of the squadron’s planes were painted red, thus earning them the nickname "Red Tails." Between 1958 and 1959 the Tuskegee Airmen were classified as top secret.

"No one knew about the 'RedTails,'” stated George Roberts, son of Spanky Roberts.

With Karen Massie of News10 as the emcee, young and old attended this most exciting event. The music group "Sister Swing" regaled the audience with music of the era.

Each Airman present was introduced with a brief biography of his involvement with squadron. Not only was it an evening of celebration and fundraising for an education fund, it was also an evening packed with rich history and learning.

Tables set up around the event provided books, materials and era clothing for all ages to buy. A raffle and silent auction was also conducted as part of the fundraising efforts. Items ranged from an autographed drawing of a famous P-51 Mustang aircraft with the Tuskegee trademark red tail, and other items of African Americans' history in the military with still much more that was to be auctioned off.

Lt. Colonel Grgurich stated "Spanky" Roberts, after retiring from the military, was recruited by Wells Fargo and became the first African American personal banker for Wells Fargo in California. Wells Fargo Bank donated a check for $1,000 toward the George S. Roberts Tuskegee Airmen Scholarship Fund.

Providing entertainment and services for the event were Theresa Keene, a pianist for the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra; music of the era by "Sisters Swing;" Civil Air Patrol Squadron 802; Mirth to Earth; WWII Stars and Stripes History Group and Hannibal’s Catering.

For information or questions regarding the Tuskegee Airmen Sacramento Chapter, contact chapter President Walter Suggs at (916) 768-0343 or Edith Roberts at (916) 723-9968.

View more photos from this event>>

Reunion Tour comes back and wins the Indoor Kickball Championship

2011-12-06T16:07:41Z

In the Xoso Sport & Social League final Indoor Kickball season of the year, and a championship game that featured the regular season's top two teams, #2 Reunion Tour pulled away from #1 Turn Your Head and Cough to win the 2011 Late Fall Indoor Kickball title 18-9.

Playoff night (last night) kicked off with the play-in matchup of #4 Balls to the Wall versus #5 The A-Team. Balls to the Wall (4-4) built a 19-6 lead after four innings but The A-Team (3-5) rallied with three runs in the fifth and eight more in the sixth before coming up short 19-17.

#4 Balls to the Wall advanced to the first semifinal where they faced #1 Turn Your Head and Cough (6-2). After holding Balls to the Wall scoreless for the first three innings, Turn Your Head and Cough steadily built a 16-1 lead going into the bottom of the sixth. Balls to the Wall was able to put six runs on the board before being shut down for a final score of 16-7.

The other playoff semifinal pitted #2 Reunion Tour (6-2) against #3 Gryffindor (5-3). Reunion Tour jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning before running away with the game 18-4 to set up a title showdown with #1 Turn Your Head and Cough.

This season's final presented an opportunity for Turn Your Head and Cough to avenge their only two losses of the season, both at the hands of Reunion Tour, 10-9 and 21-12. With excellent defense played by both sides and a scoreless tie after two innings, the game seemed headed for a low scoring finish. The Reunion Tour offense woke up with four runs in the third inning and tacked on eight more in the fourth with the help of "double damage" to lead 12-5 after four innings. Reunion Tour pushed the score to 18-6 in the top half of the sixth inning before putting away Turn Your Head and Cough by the final score of 18-9.

Cheers to the 2011 Late Fall Champions, Reunion Tour, and to all the teams for a great season! Many of the teams will now be moving over to coed dodgeball or volleyball during the winter months, so we'll see who comes out on top next time...

Disclosure: Nick is the founder of Xoso.

Gym, Tan, Dodgeball win first title, and Team AP completes first 3-peat!

2011-11-05T00:00:32Z

Last night featured 150 local young professionals, competing for the right to claim Xoso Dodgeball Champion on their athletic resumes. Another 100 playoff hopefuls had already had their dreams of dodgeball glory fade into the distance. The Xoso Sport & Social League offers two divisions on Thursday evenings, separating veteran "A" league teams from newer "B" league teams.

On the B League side of the gym last night, Gym Tan Dodgeball proved that it doesn't always matter where you're seeded.

The Fall Season of Xoso dodgeball wrapped up last night with an epic night of playoffs and championship matchups. Coming into the night Drinkin' Team (6-2) and Titsburg Feelers (6-2) arrived with the top 2 seeds, while Gym Tan Dodgeball (5-3) and Hookers and Bacon (4-4) had earned the lowest seeds - 5th and 6th respectively.

In the opening round the first matchup contained little drama as Sexual Chocolate and Gym Tan Dodgeball(GTD) were set to square off in a battle of 4-seed vs 5-seed. Sexual Chocolate unfortunately didn't have the minimum number of players and so GTD was awarded a victory by forfeit and advanced to the semifinal round. The other quarterfinal matchup was a different story as the 3-seed, Ball Thugs & Harmony, went to battle against the 6-seed Hookers & Bacon. It was a close fight the entire game as the game progressed: 1-1, 2-1, and finally 3-1 with Hookers & Bacon finally able to distance themselves from Ball Thugs. Ball Thugs were not done however, as they whittled their competition down in the next game. This 5th and deciding game determined the match as time ran out on Ball Thugs, even though they had more players left as time expired, this additional point brought them a 3-2 loss and allowed Hookers & Bacon to complete the upset and move on to face Titsburg Feelers in the semifinals.

The Titsburg Feelers took advantage of their 1st round bye and used their rested arms to welcome Hookers & Bacon to the semifinal round. Hookers & Bacon put up a tough fight by winning 3 games, however the #2 seed proved to be too much and won convincingly 6-3. With their victory Titsburg earned a spot in the Championship game versus the winner of #5-seed Gym Tan and #1-seed Drinking Team. In this other semifinal match the top-seeded Drinking Team had a strong advantage as they battled GTD late into the match with a 3-2 lead, and time winding down at approximately the 4 minute mark. Gym Tan would not give up. GTD successfully tied the match up at 3-3 with just over 2 minutes remaining. With little time on the clock these two teams battled in one final game to determine who would move onto the Championship match. In an exciting and heated contest Gym Tan gutted it out and was able to secure a win in the final game for a 4-3 match victory.

The intensity and stakes only got higher as the Championship Match featured Gym Tan Dodgeball squaring off against the second-seeded Titsburg Feelers. The games in this final match were long and extremely hard-fought as each side knew what was at stake. They battled toe-to-toe for four exhausting matches and in the end were tied at 2-2, due to the Titsburg Feelers having more players on the court as time expired and Gym Tan missing a half-court basket as the whistle blew. The Championship was settled with one final sudden death game. The score was finally settled when the team that seemed to have the most fight in them, Gym Tan Dodgeball, was able to oust the final Titsburg Feeler and claim Xoso Dodgeball Championship status. Gym Tan was able to knock off the #1 AND #2 seeds to truly prove that, in the playoffs, it's anyones game.

Congrats to Gym Tan Dodgeball on their first championship!

On the "A" league side, Team AP survived to win their 3rd straight A League title.

In one of the most tightly contested dodgeball playoffs in recent memory, Team AP was able to secure their 3rd consecutive Thursday dodgeball crown. Usually seeded 1st or 2nd, AP (6-2) finished the regular season in 3rd place and faced the unusual challenge of not having a 1st round playoff bye and instead having to win three matches to clinch the championship. In round 1, AP struggled early against 6th seeded Bat S*** Crazy (2-1-5) before pulling away late to win 5-2. The other round 1 matchup saw 4th seed (o)(o) (4-4) knock off 5th seed Dirty Smurfs (4-4) also by the score of 5-2 to advance.

In the evening's first semifinal, top-seeded and undefeated D3: The Mighty Drunks (8-0) battled (o)(o) in a closer than anticipated match but emerged a 4-2 winner. Semifinal #2 was a tense affair that saw Team AP jump out to a 3-1 lead on a 2nd seeded Kendall's Bridesmaids (7-1) before Kendall's Bridemaids closed the gap to 3-2 and then evened the match at 3-3 by winning a 3-on-3 sudden death round after regulation time had expired. The squads then faced off in an untimed, winner-take-all 8-on-8 game won by AP to set up a championship showdown with longtime rivals D3.

This season's title match between AP and D3 marked the 4th time these rivals have squared off in the playoffs over the last few seasons. A determined D3 played hard to end AP's post-season dominance but was unable to slow down AP as they established a 4-1 lead in the first 20 minutes of the match. Energized by their earlier round scares, AP was in classic form for the championship round marked by their athleticism and unmatched throwing ability. D3 clawed back late to narrow the lead to 4-2 but ran out of time as AP closed out the match 5-2 and celebrated the first three-peat in Xoso history.

Congrats to Team AP!

Disclosure: Nick is the founder of Xoso.

'Occupy Sacramento' blasts City Council

2011-11-03T07:24:38Z

'Occupy Sacramento' blasts City Council during the public forum of the Tuesday, November 1, 2011 meeting.

View more photos>>

"Chocolate Salty Balls" Come Out of Nowhere to Win Recess Championship

2011-10-31T18:39:08Z

In a surprising turn of events, Chocolate Salty Balls emerged as Xoso Sport & Social League's Fall 2011 Recess League champions with a tense 2-1 volleyball victory over previously undefeated Green Dogs and Spam. CSB entered week 8 of the regular season in 4th place but was able to leapfrog over UR FIRED and Drexel Dragons into 2nd place by winning their final week matchup while the other playoff contenders lost.

For the two team playoff, CSB (3-3-2) chose to square off against #1 seed Green Dogs and Spam (8-0) in volleyball as opposed to the other Recess sports (Indoor Kickball and Dodgeball). Despite volleyball being CSB's strength and Green Dogs' weakness, it was Green Dogs that seized game one 21-17. On the verge of elimination, CSB came out strong in game two, winning handily 21-9, and set the stage for winner take all game three. CSB rode their game two momentum to a 15-10 lead and seemed in complete control before Green Dogs rallied to narrow the score to 16-14. Their efforts fell short, however, as CSB was able to rely on great serving to win points late to clinch the championship with a 21-17 game three win.

Disclosure: Written by a member of Xoso Sport & Social League

Costumed Pooches & Kids Trick or Treat in Midtown

2011-10-30T18:41:33Z

Not too creepy or scary, the spirit of Halloween filled Midtown's streets yesterday. Relles Florist on J St featured a magic show, balloon twisting, arts corner and apple cider booth. The kids were out in full force.

Costumed canines celebrated Halloween with a Pooch Parade around Midtown. At parade's end judges passed out coveted Pooch Parade Awards. Here's the winners and other paraders:

Spookist Costume - Sofia the Bat (no photo).

The Honey Badgers win Xoso's First Softball Championship!

2011-10-28T18:38:07Z

On Sunday, Xoso Sport & Social League concluded the inaugural season of Xoso Coed Softball.

As we've all heard when it comes to the playoffs... anything can happen. On Sunday, "anything" did.

The #1 seeded "We Got The Runs" had rolled through the regular season schedule, ending with an undefeated 8-0 record. In game one, they matched up against the #4 seeded, "Foul Balls and Dirty Bunts" who came in with a 3-5 record. FBaDB were playing shorthanded, but managed to hang in there against a full #1 team. "We Got the Runs" put up the maximum number of runs in the first inning, and lead 9-2 after one. FBaDB managed to get within five runs at the end of the second inning, and battled back to close to within six at games end.

In the other semi-final matchup, #2 "Just the Tip" (6-1-1) faced off against #3 "Honey Badgers" (5-3). The Honey Badgers put up two runs in the first, another four in both the 2nd and 3rd, and added two more in the fourth, to take a 12-4 lead into the final two inning. "Just the Tip" tried to rally back, but ended up falling, 12-6.

The Honey Badgers picked up where they left off in the championship game, putting up seven runs in the first inning. "We Got the Runs" rallied back, and trailed 14-8 after four innings but they just couldn't make up for the first inning outburst. The Honey Badgers came away with the first Xoso Softball Championship with a final score of 14-11.

Disclosure: Nick Berruezo is the founder of Xoso Sport & Social League

More 'Occupy' arrests in Sacramento

2011-10-26T08:57:58Z

Occupy Sacramento participants once again stood their ground at Ceasar Chavez Park in Downtown Sacramento. At midnight, an hour after the park is officially closed, dispersal orders were given and 4 (including one in a wheel chair) were arrested peacfully.

Lights Camera Art Come to Lumens for 2nd Saturday

2011-10-24T21:45:54Z

Although former Sacramento resident Ann Tracy moved back to her childhood stomping grounds in Portland Maine this past May, local folks will see some of her latest work at Lumens, 2028 K Street beginning 2nd Saturday, November 12th, from 6 to 9 pm and continuing throughout the month. Tracy was invited to show work in light boxes at the upscale lighting store and gallery by the Center for Contemporary Art. The work will show how Tracy began using light boxes for a specific invitational show and then expanded her thinking about how to showcase her work. She will be at the 2nd Saturday reception for the show.

“We feel that it’s important for the business community to work with the arts community”, said Lisa Huntzinger, gallery coordinator at Lumens. “We have been big supporters of the Center for Contemporary Art and feel that support for the arts is just best practice as a business that deals in design.”

Tracy’s exhibit will feature one of the original works that she created for a light box and her subsequent journey with using the light box as a platform for other art work. The use of light boxes to show fine art was brought into the museum by famed photographer Jeff Wall in 1977. Since that time, artists like Tracy have seen the incredible impact it makes on art, especially digital art. In addition to art software, in her tool set are cameras ranging from Leica to toy cameras like the Holga to camera phones.

“Another interesting turn in my artistic journey”, Tracy said, “has been how what had been totally different series of works dealing with specific imagery are now beginning to collide. I find that sometimes it makes intuitive sense to put something from the Potency of Memory series and combine it with imagery I would normally just use for the Power series.”

Tracy’s 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 paintings “The Power of Romania Lies in its Artists” and “Message 3” were juried into the 2010 and 2008 edition of “American Art Collector”. She also presented a creativity workshop to feature writers at the Sacramento Bee, a daily newspaper in 2008.

Recent exhibition highlights include solo shows at the Enotria Annex (2009) and Asylum Gallery in Sacramento (2008). Recent group shows include: “Small but Mighty”, Temporary Contemporary, Sacramento(2010); “Trade & Transformation”, Tangent Gallery (2010), Sacramento; “Nada Dada Motel”, El Ray Motel, Reno NV(2010); “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)

Disclosure: If I don't promote my work, who will?

Sacramento's below average readers. Who's working on solutions?

2011-10-18T20:48:45Z

Sacramento, CA | The momentum is building. That was the message that Stand Up, the Sacramento based non-profit organization devoted to reforming education, touted in front of a packed house at the Guild Theater on Monday night.

The event was part of a series of monthly meetings organized by Stand Up to spotlight education improvement efforts in Sacramento. Previous events have brought in former California State Senator Gloria Romero to discuss the “parent trigger” law, the founder of Teach for America Wendy Kopp, and the co-founder of the Knowledge is Power Program, Mike Feinberg.

Local high school students acted as ushers alongside staffers from a variety of organizations including Sacramento READS!, Mayor Kevin Johnson’s third-grade reading initiative, and StudentsFirst, Michelle Rhee’s latest foray into education reform.
Monday’s guest speaker was CNN’s education correspondent Dr. Steve Perry, there to promote his new book Push Has Come to Shove, a warning cry to the “grownups” about our failing education system. Dr. Perry pulled no punches in his address to the mostly welcoming crowd. “Every day you drive by a failing school in your community,” he said, “and you know where they are, you have blood on your hands for not doing something.”

The frankness that won him accolades as “America’s most uncompromising principle” was on display as he excoriated communities for failing to shut down schools, principles for allowing unions to bully them, and absentee fathers to whom he pointedly asserted, “No, we can’t be friends.”

His fiercest criticism, however, was reserved for poor teachers. When asked in the post-presentation Q & A session about disproportionate numbers of minority students facing in-school suspension and other punishments, he laid the blame squarely on the educators. “If my detention hall is filled with student athletes who are doing well in other classes,” he said, “then maybe the problem is [the teacher]. You suck.”

If his presentation had a dose of harsh medicine it only endeared him to the crowd members even more, many of whom were educators and parents struggling with their own classrooms and schools. He fielded questions about boarding school alternatives to public school education, the tendency to blame parents, and the high illiteracy rate in Sacramento County.

Mayor Johnson addressed the audience briefly to tout the progress made in the reading initiative and to thank business partners who adopted schools in which they spent time and money to assist education efforts. In particular, Old Soul Co. was applauded for hosting a book drive and encouraging employees to volunteer their time to read to students at Peter Burnett Elementary School.

Other speakers included the Eric Lerum, the Vice President of National Policy at StudentsFirst, who ran down national mission goals of the organization, and the oldest volunteer in Sacramento READS!, former Queen of the Rose Parade Margaret Huntly. Her personal journey, as a 90-year old former school teacher who still goes back to the classroom to volunteer, drew perhaps the most enthusiastic applause of the event.

The statistic that most participants will walk away with was pointed out by Sacramento Reads earlier in the evening, that “only 37% of our third-grade children are reading at grade-level; the flip-side of that coin is that 63% are not.” Dr. Perry later took the opportunity to expand on that point. “If we are to have a real conversation about this issue, we have to recognize that some of us in here aren’t reading as well as we should either.”

'Occupy' group stops at Bureau of Indian Affairs on march to Capitol

2011-10-18T00:21:36Z

'Occupy' protesters in Sacramento marched on Capital Mall Friday afternoon with a stop at the Bureau of Indian Affairs at 650 Capital Mall with some definite opinions of Columbus and the recent celebration of Columbus Day. After their brief stop and rally at John E. Moss Building, they continued east on Capital Mall where they rallied again on the north steps of the Capital Building

See video from demonstration>>

View some other 'Occupy' articles on SacPress>>

Huge turnout for Making Strides to End Breast Cancer this morning

2011-10-17T02:34:53Z

Thousands of breast cancer survivors, their friends and families, up at the crack of dawn, came to the Capitol to show their love and support for the women, even the men, in their lives. Before they hit the pavement there was a prelude.

Sacramento Women's Chorus sang our National Anthem in unison with the Color Guards' presentation of the colors.

Warm-up exercises kicked into high gear and off they went!

Marching against breast cancer.

"Big or small save them all", 'tutus for ta tas", "real men wear pink" signs stated.

It took 43 minutes for the last of the marchers to go thru the start gate. Perhaps 19,000 of them, this year's desired goal.

Here are some photos showing what it looked like this morning:The route took them west from the Capitol, then they looped back east on K St. and then back to the starting line.Headed down K Street.Making Strides to End Breast Cancer is an annual event sponsored by the American Cancer Society. At the time this article was written, this was posted on their website:

Together we've raised $195,391.47 to help save lives.

New Editor in Chief: Colleen Belcher

2011-09-27T17:08:16Z

To all staff, collaborators and readers of The Sacramento Press.

I would like to briefly introduce our new Editor in Chief, Colleen Belcher.

For most of you, Colleen needs no introduction because she has personally worked with literally hundreds of contributors and everyone on our small staff. You all know her glowing smile and her indefatigable spirit.

Colleen started working as an intern at The Sacramento Press even before there was a live website. I remember how instrumental she was at setting the tone with that first group of interns and staff. She created a sense of camaraderie with her fellow interns while setting a very hardworking pace for all of us continue to follow.

We hired Colleen as a resource coordinator for our growing volunteer community. Her work greatly increased the quality and quantity of contributions. Her roles included creating and running journalism workshops, coordinating copy editing and assigning media passes.

For the past year and a half, Colleen has been our Managing Editor. She makes sure that there is quality content on our front page every day. This may sound routine, but those of you who read our site when we first started out know better.

There is a huge difference between words on a website and compelling local news and information. Additionally, volunteer contributions often come in waves, so daily consistency is hard to achieve. Colleen has improved our content and consistency so greatly, it is almost impossible to look back.

I would say I don’t know how she does it, but that’s not true – I know precisely how she does it because she wrote down her process as part of her job. She contributed heavily to a handbook on our operations that outlines everything that goes into making this site possible.

Colleen has been instrumental to our success at every level. She has worked with amateurs, interns and professionals and faced down “the daily beast” here at The Sacramento Press. Inside our office and well beyond, Colleen is respected and loved.

So it is with much pleasure that I introduce her to you as our new Editor in Chief, a title she has earned over the course of three amazing years.

Disclosure: I am COO and one of the founders of The Sacramento Press.

Slow news day

2011-09-25T07:15:51Z

But you can always count on craigslist for a chuckle.

Nothing else to see here, move along....

Pastors remain on task, city council hopefuls interviewed

2011-09-23T05:33:02Z

Sacramento, CA | Area Pastors promissed to remain on watch, holding current city council members and hopefuls accountable.

Area pastors remain on task as promissed, holding both current council members and June 2012 City Council hopefuls accountable. Today, Allen Warren (running for the district 2 seat), and Betty Williams (running for the district 8 seat) were interviewed by a large constituency of area pastors.

Both hopefuls shared their backgrounds, qualifications, goals and priorities and then were asked tough and challenging questions and quizzed by the pastors. Warren and Williams were interviewed and "put on the hot seat" seperately by the group of pastors.

Sharing his background and qualifications with area pastors, Allen Warren, who intends to run for the district 2 seat, shared how his life was set for pro baseball with the New York Yankees when his carrer path took a drastic change. He found himself on Wall Street being trained and groomed with a large financial agency and then further into business. Warren stated that job creation is a top priority on his agenda.

Warren stated that he had not inteded politics to become a carrer choice for himself, but with the currentl lack of leadership he feels he had to step up. He promissed pastors that he is prepared to "stay the course".

Betty Williams, with a long diverse tenure in many upper level positons with the NAACP and long time community advocate, stated that crime and education top her list of priorties. Under incumbant, Bonnie Pannell's watch, Sacramento Police Chief, Rick Braziel, has indicated publicly that district eight's Meadowview area has become the worst crime ridden area in the city, Williams stated. Already on advisory counciles with the Sherrif and Police Chief, the Meadowview area is high on Williams radar for crime reduction.

Williams also advised the pastors that she has hired Sam Walton, the late Sam Pannell's campaign manger to manage her campaign. When asked what defines the difference between Pannell and herself, Williams emphatically stated, "My leadership is stronger than Bonnie Pannell's." Williams stated that she has already received endorsements from Mayor Kevin Johnson, Jay Schenirer and Willie Brown among others.

Moderator, Pastor Darryl Heath, made it very clear to both contenders that "there is no quid pro quo here". He was careful to state that the pastors are not promissing their vote and are not expecting anything in exchange. He stated to both that "the only thing we want from you is for you to do your job with integrity and honesty."

The pastors have promissed current and future council membes to have at least one represenative present at every council meeting and to remain on watch for the city as a whole.

Disclosure: I am an area pastor and affiliated with the pastor's newly formed watch group, CYHU- Can You Hear Us Now

Metro PAC supports Mayor Johnson’s re-election bid

2011-09-16T18:53:09Z

Metro PAC, the Sacramento Metro Chamber’s political action committee, is supporting Mayor Kevin Johnson’s re-election bid as mayor of Sacramento.

Several weeks ago, Metro PAC gathered together more than 50 business leaders for a Coffee & Conversation in support of the mayor where chamber members could have a candid conversation about the city’s business climate.

“We believe Mayor Johnson is the right choice for Sacramento as we did in 2008,” said Metro PAC Chair Ardie Zahedani. “The mayor has the right idea of making Sacramento more business-friendly. This town was founded as a crossroads of commerce, and we need elected leaders like the mayor who understand that when businesses are able to prosper, the community is better for it.”

Zahedani noted that while the business community might hold a different opinion from the mayor on occasion, he has raised the national and international profile of Sacramento, which is vital to the city’s business attraction and retention efforts.

“Mayor Johnson is a champion for Sacramento—he is a champion for businesses and pro-business policies. Electing him in 2012 will be another opportunity for citizens to raise the profile of the city on a global stage,” Zahedani said.

Disclosure: Hal Silliman is communications director for the Sacramento Metro Chamber

Looking In - Looking Out

2011-09-09T19:52:35Z

During the month of October 2011, E Street Gallery, 1115 E St., Sacramento, will host an exhibition entitled “Looking In – Looking Out" by Cherie Hacker, Carrie Markel, and Ann Tracy. (The three artists were partners in the former Midtown Asylum Gallery. Not only have they each worked with the window concept since the early 90s; they’re also long time friends.) The show opens October 6 and runs through November 5. E Street Gallery will host a preview reception on Thursday October 6, from 6-8:30pm and a 2nd Saturday reception will be held on Saturday October 8, 6-9pm. A closing reception is also scheduled November 5 from 6 to 8:30 pm.

Several years ago, Hacker and Tracy realized they were taking photos that related to each other in an ongoing process. “Looking In – Looking Out” is a culmination of images, Tracy shooting photos of windows from the outside looking in and Hacker’s photos looking out windows from her studio, car, planes, and trains. “Perhaps it’s that windows seem like portals to other worlds, there’s a mystery and enigma to them” says Tracy. “As an artist, I create my own world,” states Hacker, “yet, when I’m present and observe beyond myself, details, especially in the environment, provide my world with rich information via color, texture, movement, and sound.”

The photography includes installation art with vintage windows. Carrie Markel’s paintings and monotypes of window views complete this trio. Markel’s work is driven by the landscape. She shows two views of the world, elements with human qualities in nature from in or out of the architecture of the window.

Cherie Hacker hails from Chicago and holds an MFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art and a Studio Art Bachelors from UC Davis. She is quintessentially a mixed-media artist, a painter and photographer with an environmental focus.

Artist Carrie Markel embraces seasonal environmental themes through her work in monotype, watercolor and mixed media. A graduate of Sacramento State University, Markel is an established Sacramento artist who has received grants from the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission and the California Arts Council and has curated shows at the State Capitol Museum.

New England native Ann Tracy calls herself an artistic digital alchemist who references Dada philosophy and the mutability of imagery. She has exhibited from Japan to Maui to New York City and in 2003 her work, “Stop” was included in the “Violence Against Women” exhibition, Group 78 Amnesty International, in Tokyo, Japan. Tracy has also worked as an art expert for KVIE CH 6 (PBS Sacramento) for the 2010 Art Auction and was featured in Sacramento Magazine in November 2010 (http://www.sacmag.com/media/Sacramento-Magazine/November-2010/City-Sketch-Ann-Tracy/).

E Street Gallery and Studios includes ten artists within the warehouse complex. E Street Gallery is located at 1115 E Street, Sacramento, CA 95814. Additional open hours are Sunday October 9 and Saturday the 22nd from noon to 4pm each day or by appointment. A Closing Party will be held Saturday, November 5 from 4-6:30p.m. For appointments or more information please call (916) 704-2909 or email through the contact page at www.hackerartpub.com

Disclosure: Not only am I an artist working in the digital and video realm, I'm a writer too.

Video Storytelling Tips and Shortcuts Workshop Sept. 22

2011-09-07T21:17:19Z

Thank you to everyone who attended Jeffrey Callison's workshop on "The Art and Craft of Interviewing" last month. If you missed the workshop, you can read the recap and watch the video here.

The Sacramento Press has another first-time workshop presenter for September: KXTV News10 Reporter George Warren.

Multimedia journalist Andrew Nixon taught a workshop in July titled "Intro to Video Storytelling;" we'll resume the topic of video storytelling with Warren's workshop: "Video Storytelling Tips and Shortcuts."

The workshop will be from 6:30 - 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22, at The Sacramento Press office.

Warren will discuss how to produce memorable stories with minimum time and effort. Warren will go over how to do more (interviewing, shooting and editing videos) with less - a staff of one.

Warren just celebrated his 30th anniversary as an Emmy-winning reporter/multimedia journalist with KXTV News10.

He started in the business by shooting his own stories in a small market (on 16mm film!) and in recent years has come full circle - working by himself once again.

Badges will be awarded to participants for attending the workshop. To become a verified community contributor, please bring a government-issued ID.

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107, in the Amtrak station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks.

We recommend you find parking on the street, bike or take light rail, as the Amtrak parking lot charges $2 per half hour, and we cannot cover the cost of parking. If you take light rail, we will give you two passes when you get here - one to cover your trip here and one to cover your trip back.

To RSVP, email workshops@sacramentopress.com. If you RSVP and decide later not to attend, please send us an email to notify us that you will not be coming so we can have an accurate head count.

Thanks, and we hope to see you here!

Enjoy seasonal produce at two Farmers Markets

2011-09-06T22:02:18Z

Summer is just about history but two Farmers Markets aren't.

Two new locations that were added to this year's weekly circuit - East End Capitol Park at 15th & L streets and 6th & Capitol Mall - remain open on Thursdays 10am -1:30pm through September 29!

I just happened to take a photographic journey through them last Thursday:

Along Capitol Mall

East end Capitol Park

CHECK 'EM OUT THIS THURSDAY!!!

Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market breaks ground in Oak Park

2011-08-31T23:00:26Z

Sacramento, CA | Tim Mason, CEO of California based Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, with Mayor Kevin Johnson, Councilman Jay Schenirer and other community memberrs broke ground Wednesday morning in a well attended ceremony in Oak Park.

The market will be built on the north west corner of Broadway and 34th Street. Mayor Kevin Johnson stated that when he came back from college he said "what can we do with this piece of property? As a year or two went by, you realize that properites this size get into the wrong hands." Johnson bought the land in 2002 and just held it "till the right person came in or the right company said 'we want to do something that will be an assest to the community.'" Prior to Fresh & Easy, Johnson stated that "they wanted to put a used appliance store there..." Johnson stated that this (Fresh & Easy) is the right business.

“I’m excited to welcome Fresh & Easy to our neighborhood,” said Johnson. “Fresh & Easy is not only bringing more good jobs to Sacramento, but also high-quality, healthy food at affordable prices to neighborhoods that don’t always have access to such foods.”

Johnson thanked Chris Brown who worked tirelessly and handled the real estate transaction, making sure the properety fell into the right hands.

In his opening remarks, Mason stated, "We hope to continue to be part of the solution in providing greater food access and help give food options to all types of communities... at a price they can afford right where they live."

Mason stated they have opened 137 stores since they opened in 2007, invested over two billion dollars and created more than 4500 jobs. In Oak Park, the new store will create 300 construction jobs and when it is finished it will create 30 retail jobs for the community.

"We have worked very hard to create a thoughtful business and a business that can make a difference in the community" Mason stated.

In a press release, Fresh & Easy noted the locations opening in greater Sacramento in 2012

Watt Ave. & El Camino Ave.- Sacramento
34th St. & Broadway- Sacramento
Mack Rd. & Franklin Blvd.- Sacramento
Lincoln & Sterling Rd.- Lincoln
Elk Grove Florin Rd. & Calvine Rd.- Elk Grove
E. Natoma St. & Blue Ravine Rd.- Folsom

"When you say Oak Park, when you put those two words together, people show up; people have been showing up for a long time. We are hitting our stride in this community; we are doing great things" Councilman Jay Schenierer stated.

"I know you said that you like to put your stores in all types of communities, so on behalf of Oak Park, I want to thank you for putting your store in the best and most engaged community that we have in Sacramento" Schenirer stated to Mason.

"When you look at Oak Park you see a diverse community, not just one sector of Sacramento" said Schenirer

Fresh & Easy has created nearly 5,000 jobs in California, Arizona and Nevada. Entry-level positions start at $10 an hour in California and provide room for employees to grow quickly. The company offers quarterly bonuses of up to 10% as well as a 401(k) with company match. Fresh & Easy believes everyone deserves access to affordable and comprehensive healthcare and provides all employees the opportunity to work at least 20 hours per week, which entitles everyone in the business to vision, prescription drug, dental and medical coverage with Fresh & Easy paying at least 75%.

In an impromptu open dialog, Mason committed to Johnson to install a solar roof and create space on the grounds for community members to sell their produce from the community gardens being developed. As a gesture and token of the commitment, Mason took his tie off and gave it to Johnson. Johnson holding the tie up stated that he would wear the tie at the ribbon cutting when the store opens.

"Fresh & Easy is going to open six stores in this area, that's a total of 150 jobs. We have double digit unemployment rates; that is a big deal." Johnson stated.

Fresh & Easy touts being a "green" company and you can learn more about them at their site>>>

Fresh & Easy invites community members to join their "Friends" to say in the know>>>

View more photos from this event>>>

Chinese Culture Fair

2011-08-30T20:43:30Z

Sacramento, CA | On a very warm Sunday afternoon, many people came out to celebrate the 5th Annual Chinatown Culture Fair. It was a family friendly event that gave young and old a chance to experience the culture of the Chinese-American community.

The fair started off with the sounds of drums and cymbals as a traditional Lion Dance energized the crowd. As the dancers worked their way through the people, younger children seemed to be in awe or not sure what to make of these large, but friendly beast.

Master of Ceremonies, Amy Tong, got things going by introducing some of the members of the Chinatown Mall Culture Fair Committee, who without their time, effort, and hard work, the event would not have been possible.

Miss Teen Asia Sacramento 2011, Christine Yan, along with others, spoke briefly and then turned over the stage for the entertainment portion.

The entertainment, as well as the fair, had a little to offer everyone. From the Ai-Hua Dance Group to Diana Tang who gave a performance on the harp. Singing, dancing and martial arts were almost non-stop throughout the event on the performing arts stage.

There were many more things to see and do beyond the stage. You could try your hand at lantern making, origami, or maybe even calligraphy. Vendors at the event offered an array of services from health needs, insurance, or if you just needed some artwork or plants to spruce up the home or office.

There was an area for children’s activities as well. They could do many hands-on activities such as painting lanterns. Children also had the chance to hear author, Ann Martin Bowler, read her book, Adventures of the Treasure Fleet. Not only did she read the story, but got many of the children involved in helping out with the sound portion of the piece.

At the entrance to the mall on J Street, you could find the Capitol Chinese Orchestra playing for attendees as well as people who were just walking by. In the courtyard, Byron Brown and Edith Bohlke from the United Chinese Martial Arts Academy School put on a demonstration.

Later in the afternoon, Master Lai Hung and his students performed a Lion Dance and martial arts demonstration that attracted a large crowd in the courtyard.

Also throughout the afternoon in the Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Museum, there was a lecture series that included, Chinese Restaurants: Three Continents, speaker Cheuk Kwan; Sun Yat-Sen and his US experience, speaker Manfred P.T. Peng and “Flying Tigers” Captain William King, speaker Gene Chan.

This years theme at the fair was, “Bringing the past to the future”, with the many events, activities, entertainment and hard work by all those involved, the past did meet the future in an event that all could enjoy. VIEW MORE PHOTOS>>>

Disclosure: Rusty Kleine is an official photo journalist with MaverickPhotography.us and SacMav.com in collaboration with SacPress.com

Sacramento 1st Annual Hemp Fest

2011-08-21T06:56:39Z

On a warm Saturday afternoon, the 1st Annual Sacramento Hemp Festival continued its second day of the 3 day event.

They were lined up when the gates opened at 11, and the line grew after the first hour, and stayed pretty steady throughout the day. Early estimates put attendance at around 3 – 4,000 with a few hours to go.

The event is being held at the Rio Ramaza Marina RV & Event Park and is billed as a way to promote awareness and to educate on the purposes and benefits of cannabis.

And for the person who may or may not currently have a medical card, but who needs more information, this is the place to go. Dispensaries such as 1 Love Wellness, not only were there to promote their own business, but also to help educate about ways medical cannabis could help each individual.

There is also an assortment of food vendors that can cater to a variety of taste. Other vendors included the Healing Arts Institute, which was offering free chair massages, Nicole with Passion Parties, and Cultivist.com promoting the official cannabis strain registry, among others.

There is also a special section, 215, that is only open to current medical card holders. Here you are allowed to medicate as needed and visit other vendors which included dispensaries, paraphernalia for sale, as well as vendors to help you cultivate your own supply.

A list of entertainment was scheduled through the day as well as Sunday. Performers such as Ms. Lacy from Vallejo and Fiva in the Funk House had the crowd up and moving.

One of the most popular places was 420 Relief, who was there to assist qualified individuals with getting medical marijuana cards. By late afternoon, they had help secure over 200 new cannabis cards for patients.

Some information booths had a political tone, such as the one promoting the California Cannabis Hemp & Health Initiative 2012. Also in attendance was Jeremy Schafer, son of Dr. Mollie Fry and Attorney Dale C. Schafer. Their story and more information can be found at Freedocfry.com.

For more information and to learn about the event, please check out the 1st Annual Sacramento Hemp Festival.

Disclosure: Rusty is an official photographer/Photojournalist for MaverickPhotography.us and SacMav.com

Hollywood to Dollywood ... to Sacramento!

2011-08-20T16:01:17Z

The Saturday lineup at the 12th annual Sacramento Film & Music Festival includes 28 films spread over 14 hours of programming, the Sacramento Bee Fashion Challenge results, and a live performance by alumni-musician Stephan Nance. The films include a full length musical about a reluctant monster, 16 films from some of the best student filmmakers in the world, and several short films from Sacramento-based filmmakers. And at 7pm, the Festival hosts "Hollywood to Dollywood" and filmmakers Gary and Larry Lane. This is the fourth festival of 21 who currently have scheduled screenings of this highly sought after independent documentary and the brothers are in town for approximately 12 hours before flying on to their next screening, tomorrow in San Diego.

The film documents a journey, both metaphorical and literal, in which the gay twin brothers write a screenplay for their idol Dolly Parton and then drive across country in a rented RV named "Jolene" to deliver the script to Dolly, in person, on the 25th anniversary of the opening of Dollywood. Along the way, they get writing advice from Academy Award winner Dustin Lance Black ("Milk") and actor/producer Chad Allen, share the stories of their lives and the lives of those they encounter on the road, and battle severe weather that threatens the road trip. All in the hope that they can get close enough to Dolly to hand over their work and be noticed by their heroine. The film also includes 17 songs by Dolly Parton herself.

"Hollywood to Dollywood" screens at 7pm at the historic Crest Theatre and will be followed by a Q&A session with the directors and stars of the film, Gary and Larry Lane.

The full Festival schedule can be found here. Passes and tickets for the remainder of the Festival's eight screenings can be purchased online at tickets.com or at the Crest box office.

Disclosure: Tony Sheppard is Co-Director of the Sacramento Film & Music Festival.

"Beautiful Youth" premiere draws a crowd at the Crest

2011-08-19T08:07:20Z

Just a week ago, the Sacramento Press reported on a local documentary about youth homelessness and on Thursday, "Beautiful Youth" screened for a packed house as part of the Sacramento Film & Music Festival SummerFEST. The Festival contacted the filmmakers as a result of that article and, given only a week of lead time, the size of the audience was both noteworthy and a testament to the interest in the topic. The film itself has a running time of 47 minutes and was followed by a Q&A session with filmmakers Jennifer Lystrup and Mackenzie Long which lasted equally long. Even more remarkable, almost the entire audience stayed throughout the post-screening discussion and asked questions of both the directors and several of the individuals who were interviewed during the making of the film.

The Sacramento Film & Music Festival continues through Sunday evening. Friday evening's lineup consists of three narrative feature films: "Face to Face," "Stan," and "The Corridor" at 7pm, 9pm, and 11pm respectively.

The full Festival schedule can be found here.

Disclosure: Tony Sheppard is Co-Director of the Sacramento Film & Music Festival.

French Film Fest Director to be honored as Film & Music Fest Opens Tonight

2011-08-17T18:22:05Z

The 12th annual Sacramento Film and Music Festival opens its SummerFEST program tonight by honoring another long time Festival director. This year's Film Arts Service Award will be presented to Cecile Mouette Downs, director of the Sacramento French Film Festival. Cecille has worked previously for the Film Department of the French Embassy in New York City, and as a Press Officer for the Conseil Supérieur de l'Audiovisuel in Paris. She has a master’s degree in history, is a regular contributor to “France Today” magazine, and was the 2010 recipient of the Arts Executive of the Year Award from the Sacramento Arts & Business Council.

This is the fifth Film Arts Service Award to be presented. The first went to Shawn Sullivan, who teaches animation at Sheldon High School and has a remarkable record of placing students in competitive college and industry positions. Subsequent recipients have included: Bill Bronston, CEO of Tower of Youth which showcases and advocates for youth filmmaking; Ron Cooper, Executive Director of Access Sacramento and the "A Place Called Sacramento" screenwriting competition and filmmaking program; and Sid Garcia-Heberger, Managing Partner of the Crest Theatre, co-founder and co-director of the Sacramento Jewish Film Festival, and a Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commissioner. As last year's recipient of the Award, Sid Garcia-Heberger will present this year's Award to Cecile Mouette Downs.

Additionally, this year's opening night features the runway portion of the Sacramento Bee Fashion Challenge. The Bee partnered with the Festival to give local designers the challenge of creating a red carpet worthy outfit from newspaper and no more than $50 worth of additional materials. Winners will be announced on Saturday, August 20th at 6pm.

Tonight's opening night feature film is a documentary about Japanese-American animator and film director ("When the Wind Blows") Jimmy Murakami, who spent part of his childhood with his family at the Tule Lake internment camp in Northern California. "Jimmy Murakami - Non Alien" shows the continuing effects this experience has had on his life and explains his discomfort in living in America. This film is an interesting counterpart to the final feature documentary that will play on Sunday, August 21st. "Fordson: Faith, Fasting, Football" explores the American Muslim experience, as seen through the eyes of the football team at Fordson High School in Dearborn, Michigan - a public high school that is 98% of Arab descent and overwhelmingly muslim. 2011 is the 70th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the 10th anniversary of the attacks of 9/11 and these two films remind us of the impacts of how we collectively treat people who look like, but who aren't, our enemies.

The Sacramento Film & Music Festival SummerFEST opens tonight at 6pm, with a reception catered by District 30 and Pizza Rock, and runs through Sunday. 65 films represent 13 countries, including 23 from this year's 10x10 Filmmaker Challenge - in which local filmmakers are given 10 days to make a 10 minute film. The program also includes an exclusive screening of "Beautiful Youth" at 6pm on Thursday, a film about homeless youth in Sacramento and which has been written about previously in the Sacramento Press. The full schedule and more information, including film trailers can be found online at sacfilm.com. All screenings take place at the historic Crest Theatre.

Disclosure: Tony Sheppard is Co-Director of the Sacramento Film & Music Festival.

SacPress on Insight: Redistricting drama, new city manager and Powerhouse

2011-08-16T23:05:52Z

Tuesday morning’s visit with Jeffrey Callison gave us the chance to talk about redistricting (still), the new city manager (again) and a new restaurant opening in the old Hanger 17 space at 17th and S (finally).

The long, dramatic saga of the redistricting of Sacramento’s City Council districts continues with Tuesday’s City Council meeting. But given the twists and turns in this process, there’s no telling. We have an explainer on the topic that shows the process of how we got where we are. But the damage done to the council’s reputation, especially that of a few key members who used the process to consolidate their political power, has been done. And there will likely be a contingent of people from Oak Park protesting the redrawn map that puts the UC Davis Medical Center outside of their neighborhood for the first time in 40 years. The final vote on the new map comes later this month.

Sacramento finally has a new city manager, and if he and the city stick with his contract, he’ll be around at least three years. John Shirey will receive $258,000 a year, a 16 percent raise from the last city manager, but a decrease from his salary at the California Redevelopment Association, where he has been executive director. But there are those who are not happy with Shirey’s contract nor with the process that led to his hiring, which was largely done behind closed doors. Mayor Kevin Johnson and Councilwoman Angelique Ashby voted against the package, saying that it was inappropriate to give Shirey such a huge salary when a city firefighters’ union had just voted to defer a 5 percent pay raise and to contribute 6 percent of their salaries toward their pensions in the same week.

Last week was a dramatic one for fans of redevelopment. First, the city council voted to keep our local redevelopment agency going, but that would mean the city paying the state more than $18 million for the privilege, as well as more than $4 million a year, which proponents said will not affect the general fund. We will be looking into that further. Just to give you an idea of how big this is, the city says that it invested more than $25 million last year in area projects such as the La Valentina and Township 9 affordable housing projects downtown, as well as the 800 block of K Street.

But then the California Supreme Court issued a stay pending its ruling regarding the legality of the state’s discontinuing the redevelopment agencies. It will decide before the January deadline for cities to start sending funds to the state.

Councilmember Ashby and Assemblyman Richard Pan got together last week to host a meeting for residents of Natomas to brainstorm ideas for what might be built in place of Power Balance Pavilion, should an arena downtown move forward. Among the ideas discussed were a children’s hospital and a high-tech business center, though no one is known to be chomping at the bit to build such things at this point.

And ground was broken, at least metaphorically, on the Powerhouse Science Center, which has been getting a lot less press from news outlets compared to the possible arena across I-5, but which is well under way and could be completed by 2013. More significant than a chance to see shovels in the ground was the chance to see a check for $7 million handed over to start the project, which will include a domed planetarium and a surrounding park.

This weekend will see the inaugural version of Sacramento Hempfest out on the Sacramento River, with performances by Warren G., Flesh-N-Bone from Bone Thugs-n-Harmony and others. It’s designed to showcase the benefits of medical cannabis, but it also sounds like quite a party. That’s at Rio Ramaza Marina RV and Event Park on the Sacramento River in Sutter County.

The long-postponed project to better connect downtown Sacramento with Old Sacramento is going to get a new hearing on Wednesday evening from 5-7 p.m. at the downtown library. Representatives of the city’s Department of Transportation will be on hand to answer questions and field suggestions. The public comment period ends at the end of the month, and if financing comes through for the $38 million project – a big IF – construction could start in 2014.

Fans of The Golden Bear on K Street will be thrilled to know that that kitchen’s master, Kimio Bazett, will be opening a “grown-up” version of his award-winning bar/restaurant in the space recently vacated by Hangar 17 at 17th and S Streets. The new place, which has not yet been named, should be open by February of next year and will offer an expanded menu of The Golden Bear, which was featured on “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” on the Food Network.

Sac Film & Music Fest - Programming Notes

2011-08-14T22:28:29Z

Programming a film festival is an odd and varied process. Some events go out and pro-actively seek the best films that they can find, in an extensive search process – and we see this approach in such local great events as the Sacramento Jewish, French, Japanese, and Gay and Lesbian Film Fests. Other events are submission-based: A call for films is distributed, and filmmakers from a given area submit their works in the hopes of making it to the top of the pile. This latter approach, perhaps best exemplified on a grand scale by the Sundance Film Festival, is also used (on a more modest level) by the Sacramento Film & Music Festival and that given area is the entire world.

This year, films were submitted from almost 30 countries and in just about every conceivable format or genre. Which means that picking through them is an interesting task – one moment you’re watching a cute music video featuring animated vegetables and the next, you’re watching a feature length psychological thriller. The goal is to find the best and fit them into an appealing program that audiences will want to see. However, the problem with a submission-based Festival is that you never know what you’re going to get. Last year, for example, we had a full program of animated short films, whereas this year we have only one animated film within a program of student shorts. And films are often grouped more by general category than by subject matter – so you get narrative short films, international short films, etc. – rather than programs defined by comedy, or drama.

So, at the end of the process, it’s interesting when you sometimes find that you’ve chosen films that seem to follow a common theme. This year’s program includes three feature length documentaries, each of which stood out from the crowd and were selected on their own merits. Only later did we realize that they shared the theme of being “different” in America.

The first of these, “Jimmy Murakami – Non-Alien,” recounts one of the worst times to be different in American history. Jimmy Murakami was born in California and probably would have had a fairly ordinary American childhood had he not been Japanese-American and born in 1933. At the age of eight, he was transported with his family to the Tule Lake internment camp, and spent the next four years there, learning to resent his own government. After the war the family moved to Los Angeles and Jimmy eventually went to art school and became an animator, going on to great success in the film industry and directing such films as “The Snowman,” “When the Wind Blows,” and “A Christmas Carol.” But he never felt comfortable in the country that imprisoned him as a child and never fully came to terms with that experience. The film shares his experience, after 40 years of living in Ireland, of his trip back to California and a pilgrimage to Tule Lake.

In “Hollywood to Dollywood,” twin gay brothers from Tennessee escape their childhood home (for all the reasons you might expect) and move to Los Angeles. There, they spend five years writing a screenplay for their idol Dolly Parton – only to head back across country in a rented RV in the hopes of handing that screenplay to Dolly on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of her theme park, Dollywood. The film contains interesting commentary on the process of writing, including contributions from actor Chad Allen and Academy Award winning writer Dustin Lance Black (“Milk”), shares the adventure of the open road, and includes multiple personal stories of exclusion and coming out.

The last of the three, “Fordson: Faith, Fasting, Football,” focuses on a community on the west side of Dearborn, Michigan. Here, after decades of immigration, the local population has changed so much that Fordson High School is now 98% of Arab descent, and overwhelmingly Muslim. But their other defining characteristic is their love of football, with boys following older brothers, fathers and uncles onto the high school squad. The film follows the team over a period of ten days, considering the question of what it means to be Muslim in a post-9/11 America through personal stories, as they prepare for their big cross-town game with Dearborn High. This is complicated by Ramadan, and a month of afternoon practices and evening games following days of fasting.

Each of the three films is a fascinating depiction of a specific experience but, taken as a whole, they are a compelling account of what it means to fit in, or not fit in, in America. They are three out of 42 films, representing 13 countries (we lost half the countries in the selection process), programmed into 13 unique screenings at this summer’s Festival – including locally made short films and student films, and the Festival’s 10x10 Filmmaker Challenge which will include another 25 films (that’s a guess – they haven’t been finished yet…) made in just 10 days, in and around Sacramento.

Each of the 12 screenings costs $10, but you can buy passes (at the Crest Box Office) for all 13 screenings for only $30 if you mention Sacramento Press, or for the low, low price of $20 if you’re a student.

The Sacramento Film & Music Festival continues its 12th season with SummerFEST is at the historic Crest Theatre in downtown Sacramento, from Wednesday, August 17th to Sunday, August 21st. The full schedule, including trailers for all three films described here, can be found at www.sacfilm.com and you can follow further developments at facebook.com/sacfilm.

Disclosure: Tony Sheppard is Co-Director of the Sacramento Film & Music Festival.

SacPress on Insight: Redistricting drama and Brew It Up goes down

2011-08-03T00:13:09Z

Tuesday morning on Capital Public Radio's Insight, Sacramento Press and Jeffrey Callison caught up on last week's crazy City Council meeting, the end of Brew It Up! brewpub and the potential hire of a new city manager.

There were fireworks at City Council over redistricting last week, with two members of the council introducing their own plans to compete with the four chosen by the citizen's committee out of the 37 that were submitted. Politics re-entered the picture as members tried to protect incumbents' districts.

The arena financing discussion took an interesting turn this last week, when the Think Big Sacramento committee introduced the idea of selling some of the nearly 2,000 properties owned by the city to raise money to fund an arena. It's the first good idea I've heard in some time regarding the arena, but it's still very sketchy. In any case, even optimists say it would still only come up with an estimated 10 percent of the cost of building the arena, and the devil is in the details. Still, it's movement.

Speculation about a new city manager is at a high right now as the City Council meets Tuesday in closed session to discuss final details with John Shirey, who is the current executive director of the California Redevelopment Association and likely the next city manager. It will also be the end of Bill Edgar's return to the position he held a few years ago, for which he was paid nearly $50,000 for three months of a three-day work week, and is currently being paid $15,600 a month. Nice work if you can get it.

Councilwoman Angelique Ashby posted on our site about new hearings on Natomas Regional Park, which is a huge area in Natomas that could and should be developed into a regional amenity. Financing it is another matter.

The long-lived brewpub Brew It Up! closed Sunday. The restaurant/pub, which has been in business for 15 years, and in the parking garage building across from Music Circus and Sacramento Theatre Company for eight years, took a hit in the 2008-9 recession and never recovered. That's 50-60 jobs gone from the local economy. There were a number of customers who were unhappy that they wouldn't be able to use their Groupon coupons, but there was also a nice note in the story, that the wait staff asked the owners to give kitchen staff first consideration in pay since they don't receive tips.

When I first heard that some entrepreneurs were going to open a bar on J Street called MMA Fight Bar, I thought, "Boy, try getting THAT past the neighbors." And no surprise, plans for the space adjacent to and owned by Luck's BBQ on J Street is not going to be called that. After neighbors complained, the owners withdrew their permit application and no new permit has yet been filed, and it may be that the owners will simply expand Luck's BBQ into the larger space.

Melissa Corker did a fine job covering a five-unit infill development at 24th and T streets in Midtown, and the conversation on the topic after she published it was a fine example of how The Sacramento Press gives a forum to extend an intelligent discussion of a subject. It seems that most involved were pretty happy with the results of the long, complicated negotiations around the development.

Those trying to boycott Israeli goods at the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op were handed a setback on Friday in Superior Court when the judge ruled that those desiring a boycott would not suffer harm by having their lawsuit heard later in the year, after the co-op holds contested board elections.

Even in these tight times, shopping is a crucial pastime – economically speaking, it's what we do as a nation – and there's yet another new boutique in Midtown. Forum Boutique is the brainchild of two high school friends who've been talking about doing this for years. It is on J Street at 23rd and features clothes as well as organic handmade soaps by one of the owners, and her artwork and jewelry. They're having their grand opening during the Second Saturday Art Walk Aug. 13.

DWB: The view from downtown on "BDS"

2011-07-29T00:48:42Z

It’s been a popular tactic in grass-roots protest and has been used effectively in the past, particularly against the apartheid regime in South Africa: BDS.

It stands for Boycott, Divest, Sanction.

But over at the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op, BDS is coming to mean something different:

Bully, Distract and Subvert.

Led by Maggie Coulter, a self-described human rights activist, a small group of passionate zealots has consumed the attention of the grocery store’s board, irritated shoppers who have to run a gauntlet of petition-thrusters and could cost the co-op as much as $25,000 of its members’ money.

All over bath salts and matzo. Oh, sorry: all over human rights.

Coulter is an anti-Israel activist who argues that the co-op should stop carrying those products because they put money in the hands of Israelis, thus ultimately supporting the occupation of Palestine. We all have our views of that situation, and they are diverse and often nuanced. But Coulter isn’t happy just to have her own view. She would like to see her political views reflected in the co-op’s choice of products. The co-op would like to leave politics out of it. Indeed, according to its bylaws, it must.

The co-op does not discriminate based on political point of view, and Coulter’s demand that it do so does not conform with the co-op’s bylaws or its mission to provide healthy, local and organic produce and products. Period.

Coulter’s friends in BDS, an activist group, have tried this before, most recently at the Davis co-op, which decisively rejected their attempts to meddle in the grocery’s business affairs. The SNFC is doing the same – or trying to. But Coulter is, if nothing else, tenacious. She is a true believer, and she’s not going to let a little thing like the will of the members of her targeted business get in her way.

Of course, Coulter doesn’t see it that way, and after the co-op’s seven-member board, elected to represent the cooperative’s 12,000 owners, voted – twice, unanimously – to reject Coulter’s attempt to force the co-op to boycott the bath salts and matzo, she changed the subject.

Now Coulter’s argument is about the co-op’s supposed lack of democratic process. It is a bogus argument, but it is serving Coulter’s immediate purpose: getting attention.

She’s getting plenty of that, and she’ll get her day in court Friday morning at 11 in Superior Court, Dept. 19. If there is any justice, that will be the end of this nonsense. It’s very hard to imagine that any judge would take this case seriously. It will likely be over tomorrow.

But whatever the outcome of the court hearing, look: It’s not just nonsense, it’s dangerous nonsense. And it is causing real damage to the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op. To see how, we need to go back to BDS: Bully, distract and subvert.

First, bullying.

Coulter and her band have been bullies from the start, first presuming to be able to change the co-op's mission, then growing increasingly aggressive: buttonholing innocent shoppers, disrupting co-op board meetings and using the press, including this site, to spread misinformation about the co-op’s internal process. More than that, though, they have poisoned the atmosphere at the co-op to a degree unseen since it launched nearly 40 years ago.

The bullying will reach its peak, I hope, in court Friday. But in some ways, the damage is already done: Since the co-op has a $25,000 deductible on its legal coverage, all the money spent to protect the co-op’s right to run its business according to its bylaws and the wishes of its board and members will have been spent. And it will have come out of co-op members’ pockets.

That’s right, co-op shoppers: You’re in court. To defend your grocery store’s right to carry bath salts and matzo.

What about “Divest”? D now stands for distract: Coulter and her small group of zealots are distracting the co-op from its mission of bringing high quality, organic, locally grown food to area tables and keeping their business together in difficult times. They are also using distraction to change the conversation from the boycott to legal challenges to the co-op’s internal processes.

They’re currently trying to change the rules by running two candidates for the two board seats coming up for election next month. Fair enough: That is democracy. But not content with an even playing field where her two candidates, Susan Bush and Cody Potter, could answer questions along with the other three candidates at the co-op’s traditional “Meet the Candidates” forum on Aug. 2, Coulter et al tried to create an alternative forum, again in the name of “democracy.”

Smelling a setup, I rejected two requests for The Sacramento Press to sanction this obviously tainted forum by participating in it as moderator. Come to find out, the only candidates who were going to appear were Coulter’s two proxies.

So I was surprised when a week later the League of Women Voters showed up on flyers as presenting the forum, to be held at Sol Collective on Aug. 11. It was another effort to gain legitimacy by including a respected partner in the process.

But that soon fell apart when, just yesterday, the league bowed out. In a conversation today with Lola Acosta, president of the local chapter of that respected arbiter of election debates, she told me that the league is no longer involved in the event because “our close examination of the request led us to the conclusion that the requesting party did not meet all our criteria.” When asked what those criteria were, Acosta referred me to to the league’s website, but didn’t elaborate.

She doesn’t need to.

This is not just a distraction, and it goes well beyond bullying. Which leads us to our third letter: S.

For subvert.

Coulter’s antics are clearly aimed at subverting the normal political and business processes at the co-op, and subverting them to her own ends. Subversive is a tag Coulter would probably gladly embrace as a self-styled “firebrand.” And there are many of us who think that subverting the established order, if it is unjust, is sometimes a good thing.

But in this case, Coulter is the counterrevolutionary. The co-op itself, from its product line to its structure as a cooperative venture, is subversive of the whole factory farming, corporate, pesticide-dependent, nonlocal, unsustainable farming and grocery model that many of us grew up with. The co-op is subversive in the most practical, creative and sustainable way.

But it’s not Coulter’s way, so it must change. Her interests have absolutely nothing to do with the co-op, very little to do with democracy and everything to do with her personal political views. So she is doing her best, even going to court, to subvert the co-op’s legitimate interests, all in the service of her own political desires.

In fact, Coulter doesn’t even really care about winning. What she really craves is attention.

As she told the Sacramento News & Review:

“‘In terms of the products themselves, they are a very small part of what the co-op does,’ Coulter acknowledged (to the SN&R). But she believes a successful campaign (and possibly even an unsuccessful one) will generate enough media attention to make the battle worth it.”

So OK, Maggie: Here’s some media attention. You are hurting a cooperative that Sacramentans have built bit by bit over decades, dividing a community and wasting a busy court’s time, all in service of your political views. I hope you feel that YOU feel you got something out of it.

But I have some new words that express my personal feelings about this:

BDS: Bug off. Disappear. See ya later.

Olympic swimmer Dara Torres to take Perspectives platform

2011-07-28T23:34:30Z

Perspectives 2011 will feature five-time Olympian swimmer Dara Torres who has proven that age doesn’t limit your dreams. At age 41, Torres, then a new mother, returned to compete in the 2008 Beijing games, winning three silver medals. In all, she has competed in five Olympics—a feat unprecedented for an American female swimmer.

Torres joins Twitter co-founder Biz Stone on stage during the Sacramento Metro Chamber’s Perspectives, set for Friday, Sept. 23 at the Sacramento Convention Center. The event returns for its 17th year in an all-new half-day format that will run 8 a.m. to noon. The final speaker will be announced Aug. 4.

In 2007, at the age of 40, Torres twice broke her own American record, 26 years after she first set the record at just 15 years old. Torres has been named one of the Top Female Athletes of the decade by Sports Illustrated magazine.

Age and experience are advantages, Torres says, “Use them to achieve your goals.”

Outside of swimming, Torres works as a TV commentator and a print model. She was a feature correspondent for Good Morning America, worked on-air for ESPN, TNT and Fox News Channel including stints on NHL Cool Shots and Fox Sports Sunday.

Her memoir, Age is Just a Number: Achieve Your Dreams At Any Stage in Your Life, was published in April 2009 and was listed as a best-selling business book. Her second book, Gold Medal Fitness, was released in May 2010 and was a New York Times best-seller.

Since its founding in 1995, Perspectives has hosted more than 90 of the world’s most influential individuals who share their personal views on world affairs and current events. Past speakers include Condoleezza Rice, Mikhail Gorbachev, Guy Kawasaki, John Glenn, Margaret Thatcher, Sugar Ray Leonard and Elizabeth Dole.

Perspectives continues to offer exclusive opportunities for hosting prospects, clients and employees in a VIP setting. Sponsor packages start at $2,500 and some include a pre-event networking reception attended by Perspective speakers and a VIP breakfast the day of the event. Individual tickets start at $99.

For more details and purchase tickets, visit metrochamber.org/perspectives or call 916-444-1919.

Disclosure: Hal Silliman is communications director for the Sacramento Metro Chamber.

SacPress on Insight: Redistricting, bridges and yoga

2011-07-26T23:01:40Z

My weekly Tuesday morning visit with Jeffrey Callison on Capital Public Radio’s “Insight” was full of news about changes in city leadership, plans for new bridges and changes at Midtown’s oldest yoga studio.

The most important thing at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting will be the decision on a redistricting plan. We have taken several looks at this issue over the last few months, but tonight is the beginning of the end game. The final choice is Aug. 22, but now is the time to be heard. There were four or five finalists, with different complications – including potentially pitting council members against each other for reelection – and a couple of sure things, such as the consolidation of the central city into one district.

After five different city managers in less than six years, with two or three “interim” city managers since Ray Kerridge resigned in March of last year, a front-runner emerged in the search for a new city manager to replace two recent interim city managers. California Redevelopment Association Executive Director John Shirey is the name that is agreed to be the front-runner, though no decision has been made, and will be made “soon.” The mayor himself blogged that he is unhappy with the choices the council has, and even went so far as to write, “The small number of applicants for the job demonstrates our city’s diminished status.” All of this could set up an interesting dynamic with Shirey, should he be chosen.

And if there’s anything even more controversial than a city manager, it’s bridges. The City Council last week heard the results of nine months of study about potential Sacramento River crossings between West Sacramento and Sacramento. There are a number of possibilities, but the council got hung up on the phrase “neighborhood-friendly” and told the staff to spend another three weeks deciding what that means. However, there seemed to be a clear understanding that the good folks in Land Park will probably block ANY bridge that feeds traffic into their neighborhood, even though that’s probably the area where a bridge is most needed.

Christine Collins is closing Deep Art and Yoga, which was one of the first, if not the first yoga studio in Midtown when she opened it back in 2005. She has handed the place off to Tyler Langdale, who is also a terrific yoga teacher. He has moved his recently opened studio, Yoga Shala, out of the YWCA and into Deep’s beautiful space at 21st and H streets.

Minds are changing, but some of my buddies in old media were skeptical, to say the least, about “citizen journalism,” or whatever you want to call it when “civilians” dare to try their hands at reporting on their city. The nerve! But we had a terrific example of such writing from a cab driver named Angelo Howland, who published a story about his experiences driving a cab in Sacramento, and it was eye-opening.

More arena news, kinda-sorta: Mayor Johnson assembled the representatives of 14 area Chambers of Commerce to back the current arena plan, which is still not really a plan at all until we get some suggestions for how it might be funded. This drew quite a few comments on the story’s Conversation, and several of them added quite a bit to the story. People are extremely skeptical about this whole process, and the “where’s the money?” question is more pertinent than ever. We shall see in September, or so we are told.

Some good news for residents of the Pocket area in South Sacramento: The bike trail that runs along the Sacramento River south of the Pocket area has been closed for four years for the expansion of the intake there at Freeport Boulevard, but now it’s open again, with new public artwork and other amenities. We’ve got some great photos of it, including an aerial shot that really placed it well for me.

Lastly, Jeffrey Callison will be coming to The Sacramento Press office to teach a workshop on the art and craft of interviewing, and anyone interested would do well to come get the wit and wisdom of one of our local masters of the form.

The Art and Craft of Interviewing with Jeffrey Callison Aug. 9

2011-07-25T18:27:39Z

The Sacramento Press is excited to announce that Jeffrey Callison will be teaching a workshop at our office in August.

Interviewing is part of the foundation of journalism. It’s how reporters get a lot of their information, including the personal angles and anecdotes that make stories come alive.

But how do you conduct a successful interview?

There are some simple rules, but you also must know when and how to break them.

Jeffrey Callison has interviewed many thousands of people over the years – both as host of Capital Public Radio’s daily program “Insight” and as a reporter. On Tuesday, Aug. 9, from 6:30 - 8 p.m., he’ll discuss “The Art and Craft of Interviewing” in a workshop at the Sacramento Press.

Callison was born in Scotland. He majored in English Literature and Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh and studied improvisational theater at L'Ecole Jacques Lecoq in Paris.

He moved to California in 1989 and started his radio journalism career at public radio station KUSP in Santa Cruz. He joined Capital Public Radio in 1996 as a classical announcer, but soon returned to radio news as a reporter and local "All Things Considered" host. He became KXJZ's news director in 2000, and he was named the first host of “Insight” in 2004.

Badges will be awarded to participants for attending the workshop. To become a verified community contributor, please bring a government-issued ID.

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107, in the Amtrak station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks.

To RSVP, email workshops@sacramentopress.com. If you RSVP and decide later not to attend, please send us an email to notify us that you will not be coming so we can have an accurate head count.

Thanks, and we hope to see you here!

Firefighting Camp for Kids

2011-07-24T18:00:40Z

Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District sponsors an annual four-day camp. Each day of camp 11, 12, and 13 year old kids are given a chance to see and learn the varied disciplines of today’s fire service.

They were shown a demonstration of an auto extrication and a Combat Challenge "firefighter physical fitness challenge".

The youngsters were taught how to handle a fire hose, how to use a fire extinguisher, and how to climb ladders. And then they put those skills to use under supervision.

"This is an annual camp put on by Sacramento Metro Fire," Jason Wenner, Sac Metro Fire Engineer/Paramedic, explained."Children living in the Sac Metropolitan Fire respnse area who are 11, 12 and 13 years old can attend."

It's a big area - 419 square miles. Wenner explained it's part of a community outreach program. The kids get to spend four days with firefighters who volunteer their time.

"The kids learn about the fire service - what we do, why we do it." Wenner said."They can gain a better understanding, perhaps make a better decision about their careers in the future."

Sometimes they learn this is not what they want to do. Sometimes they learn this is exactly what they want to do, Wenner explained.

He says other than fire service knowledge they can gain life skills like how to be a good team player, self-confidence and responsibility and leadership.

Each youngster used a fire hose in controlled burn-room to put out a fire that simulates a bedroom fire.Young fire fighters learn how to intubate someone who cannot protect their own airway due to being unconscious or not having a heartbeat.Life saving skills were put to use.A 100-foot aerial ladder was extended against a training building five-stories tall for the kids to climb.They learn to face a challenge or obstacle. With a bit of training and courage they are able to do it.A gasoline mixture is set on fire in a pan and the kids used their recently learned skills to put it out with a fire extinguisher.

Wenner says everyone should know how to use an extinguisher.

The last day of camp, they spent the morning at Sunsplash where they learned water safety and water rescue techniques.

Camp ended with a fun afternoon filled with speed and firefighting skills put to use -

BUCKET BRIGADE

WATER HOCKEYThe team that pushes the bucket across to the other side wins.

MAKE AND BREAK

Make and Break is a wildland fire scenario. When there is a fire in a field and a fire engine can't be driven onto it hose and water need to get out to it. Firefighters have to walk to that fire and lay hose down as they go. To train young firefighters the hoses are laid out and they run to couple the hoses together, spray water out and knock a cone down and then sprint back.Grown up firefighters play bucket brigade a bit more aggressively than the younger ones!

Man on the Street: Borders stores closing – what does this mean?

2011-07-22T03:12:14Z

Floppy discs, VCRs, phonebooks and payphones – what were once considered staples of everyday life have slowly faded into the background as new technologies flourished. Are books – tangible, printed and bound pages of text – next to be added to the list of obsolete and fading trends?

After hearing the news of the Borders bookstore chain selling to a liquidator, which means the closure of all its 399 stores, The Sacramento Press went out to the streets of downtown Sacramento to ask people how they felt about this decision.

Robin Louie, 62, a retired homemaker from Roseville, said she thinks that the situation is terrible.

“We had a really big Borders and a Barnes and Noble across from the Galleria,” Louie said. “But that Borders was great. It was used for lectures and all kinds of other stuff for different groups. It’s just a bummer – it’s a shame.”

Carrying her copy of “The Accidental Bestseller” while waiting for her train at the Amtrak station, Louie faithfully remains a devotee of the paper book.

“I like books,” she said. “Real books. At Borders, there used to be a huge selection of CDs, but now there are few and fewer. And now, even if you go to stores like Target or Walmart, there are fewer and fewer books on the shelves. It’s just like newspapers.”

Louie, who just returned from a cruise to Alaska, said she noticed many people there with Kindles and other electronic books. “Too many people now use Kindles and things,” she said. “And I have to admit, they could be very handy. I read three books on the cruise, but with the Kindle, they would all be in just the one thing.”

Jonathan Su, 18, an incoming freshman at UC Davis, said that he was bummed to see the stores close but he expected it to happen. For Su, Borders was a place to hang out with friends and drink coffee at the in-store cafe.

“It was pretty expensive,” Su said. “I usually read books there, but I didn’t buy the books there. It was like a library – you just look at the books. People usually just order off of Amazon.”

Su said he doesn’t think that the books themselves will become obsolete, however.

“I think there are some things about holding an actual book,” he said. “It’s not the same when you’re reading off of the Kindle or something.”

Justin Wolf, a 25-year-old photographer from Sacramento, has been a frequent shopper at Borders.

“It’s a little disappointing,” Wolf said. “I shopped there often. I bought most of my books there, pretty much. I had the membership card and would always get emails about discounts, so I’d go there a lot.”

Wolf said he has never tried using e-readers or other devices to read his books. He added that he doesn’t think that e-readers will ever take the place of paper books.

“It’ll be like the vinyl,” he said. “They’ll always be around.”

Niki Williams, 32, an environmental consultant living in Davis, said she felt sad to hear of Borders stores closing despite being a supporter of smaller, local bookstores.

“Borders was a big-box company,” Williams said. “And even though I like to support local bookstores, it’s still really sad. It’s like removing another level of variety for consumers. And Borders wasn’t just a place where you could buy books. There’s a sort of a culture around bookstores of people who are interested in different things and in learning and expanding their horizons.”

While she said she understands the easy and convenient qualities of e-readers, Williams continues to read her books in paper form.

“I’m definitely old-fashioned,” she said. “I also like to loan people books I think they’d be interested in, and it’s hard to do that with e-readers. I think there will always be a niche market for books. They’ll be like classic cars – a select group will always follow them while everyone else is on e-readers.”

Leman Woods, a 38-year-old barber visiting from Oakland, had not yet heard about Borders closing before speaking to The Sacramento Press.

“I don’t know what to think,” Woods said. “I don’t read books – I go online to read, so I just use my computer. It’s more convenient because there are thousands of books in one place right there.”

Though Woods supports the use of electronic forms of books, he said he does not feel that they will ever fully replace the printed book.

“I don’t think everyone will start reading online or electronically,” Woods said. ”Not everybody is computer-literate.”

Christopher Ogawa, a 23-year-old cheer camp instructor from Elk Grove, said that he feels books and bookstores are very important and is sad to see Borders stores close.

“Where will people go now?” Ogawa said. “Borders was an alternative for college students to buy textbooks that were usually expensive on campus. And now it’s one less place to study. It’s disheartening because text has been there since – a long time – but now bookmakers will be out of jobs and bookstores are closing.

“Electronic books won’t replace real books,” Ogawa said. “There are so many people in the education system that support and use books. And not everyone has access or money (for electronic readers), so books will always stay around.”

What do you think? Will electronic readers and other digital forms of text replace the printed book, or are books here to stay? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Eppie's Great Race: A race with something for everyone

2011-07-22T02:54:41Z

For John Weed, Eppie’s Great Race – now in its 38th year – serves as a new year’s celebration.

The 58-year-old kayak instructor and whitewater guide has competed in the “no-swim” triathlon 35 times. The 38th annual Eppie’s Great Race takes place Saturday along the American River Parkway and is open to athletes of all ages.

Weed said almost 40 years ago, he was hit by a semi truck while on his bicycle.

Before that, he had been an avid runner. He came from a family of runners and in college would run 200 miles per week.

“The doctors told me I’d never walk again, let alone run,” Weed said.

That same year, the Whitewater Slalom was introduced as an Olympic sport. Weed said he watched it on TV while he was in the hospital and decided that he wanted to try kayaking.

He took up the sport after he got out of the hospital. He is able to walk and run now, but one leg is shorter than the other which requires him to use a special seat in his kayak, he said.

His team has placed first eight times in the open division of Eppie’s Great Race and has been in the 40-plus division for the past 18 years. Weed competes in the kayak portion of the race.

Last year, he said he was the ninth-fastest kayaker.

“I feel like it’s my own personal race,” Weed said. “It’s an annual assessment of where I am now and where I once was.”

Weed and the race’s founder, Eppie Johnson, have become good friends since meeting more than 30 years ago.

“The first time I met (Eppie) was when he was learning to kayak,” Weed said. They met in kayaks near the San Juan rapids.

Weed said he knew Johnson’s kayak instructor, who introduced the two of them. Johnson told Weed about Eppie’s Great Race, and Weed signed up for the race the next year, which was the second annual Eppie’s Great Race.

Weed has been on the U.S. National Wildwater Team. The only other Eppie’s Great Race that Weed missed (besides the first) was in 1980 when the race fell on the same weekend as the USA Wildwater National Championships.

Johnson has sponsored Weed in various competitions, internationally and nationally. Most recently, Johnson sponsored Weed in the Great Josh Billings RunAground Triathlon last year.

Weed’s kayak team placed first, and he was the second fastest kayaker in the race by 58 seconds, he said.

For his 36th race, he said he is excited about the electronic chip timing.

Last year was the first year they had the chips, and he said keeping track of the athletes’ times adds a lot more pressure.

“Now everybody knows how they rank with others,” he said. “Every year before that, the biker would blame the kayaker (etc.) … (and) nobody really knew for sure” what their times were except by going off of their own watches.

The race consists of a 5.82-mile run, a 12.5-mile bike ride along the American River Parkway and finishes on the river, where racers paddle 6.35 miles to the finish.

It begins at 8 a.m. at William Pond Recreation Area and ends at River Bend Park (formerly Goethe Park).

Athletes can compete as part of a team, where each person does one leg of the race, or as an Ironman where one person does the entire race.

All proceeds from the race go to Sacramento County Therapeutic Recreation Services (TRS), which provides Sacramento County with sports and recreation activities for people with disabilities and impairments.

In 2010, which was a record-breaking year with nearly 2,100 athletes participating, $20,000 was raised for TRS and, to date, nearly $1 million has been raised for the organization.

Water flow in the river, which has been much faster this year because of all of the rain, is expected to be at the same levels as last year, according to a July 8 Eppie’s Great Race press release.

"Based on currently available information, (the Bureau of) Reclamation expects our releases to the lower American River on race day to be about 4,500 to 5,000 cubic feet per second - comparable to that of last year,” according to the release.

“But, it is important to recognize that reservoir operations and releases to the river are based on developing conditions and needs," Bureau of Reclamation spokeswoman Lynnette Wirth said in the press release.

There will be a prerace expo from 4 - 8 p.m. Friday at River Bend Park at Goethe Park Road and Rod Beaudry Road. The Old Spaghetti Factory will provide a “carbo-load” dinner, Eppie’s Great Race spokesperson Anita Fitzhugh said. For $7 for adults and $3 for kids 12 and under, the dinner includes salad, bread, spaghetti and a drink.

Those who already registered for the race can pick up their race packets, maps and T-shirts. Last-minute race entrants can register at the expo Friday or from 6:30-7:30 a.m. before the race Saturday.

For kids, there is the US Bank Duathlon where 17-and-under participants run 2 miles and bike 5.75 miles.

After the race, there will be an expo and party from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. with vendor booths, live music by local blues band The Hucklebucks and food available for purchase including chicken sandwiches, hot dogs and sodas.

The 30th anniversary plaque that stood at the starting point of the race was stolen a few months ago, and the Eppie’s Great Race Foundation will be raising funds to replace it. Donations will be accepted at Friday's expo or after the race at River Bend Park.

“What we’re doing is we’re asking people to donate some money so we can get a new one: something that can’t be stolen,” Johnson said, adding that he expects it will cost between $3,500 and $4,000 to replace it.

There are 30 different divisions of the race, including a firefighter/police division, family division, women 50-plus and a recently added men 60-plus.

“We have a committee that works all year round and every year, if necessary, they improve on rules, adjust rules.... As far as division in the race we recently even added a men’s 60-plus category because of the interest of men in that age range,” Fitzhugh said.

Johnson said he thinks Eppie’s Great Race has grown to be so popular in large part because of the venue.

“The key is the format, the venue. The American River Parkway is Sacramento’s jewel. And the whole thing is on the parkway system. People love that,” he said

One thing that has changed over the years is the individual athleticism, Fitzhugh said.

“It is interesting (that) our number of Ironpeople, Ironwomen, Ironmen – that division really is growing at a very rapid pace compared to teams. We’re finding that more and more people are wanting to take on the entire race themselves,” she added.

One athlete who will be switching from competing on a team to competing as an Ironman is Folsom resident David Lockwood.

The 28-year-old was the cyclist for his team last year. Lockwood said his work as a coach and trainer at Folsom City CrossFit has prepared him to do the whole race.

“I feel like I’m in shape. I feel like I have a good chance of doing well,” he said. However, “if there was a swim involved, I would reconsider doing an Ironman.”

Lockwood said he enjoys the scenery of the course.

“You can’t beat the course.... It’s beautiful – whether you’re running or kayaking or biking, that trail is awesome.”

He also said he liked the variety of people who take part in the race.

“You (see) all different walks of life as far as athletes go,” he said. “I was riding next to kids on mountain bikes and … guys with track bikes … everybody was out there. It’s kind of an everybody event.”

For more information on Eppie’s Great Race 38, click here.

Twitter co-founder to help introduce Perspectives’ new format

2011-07-22T00:03:19Z

A speaker lineup to include Twitter co-founder Biz Stone kicks off the new format for Perspectives 2011, offering more businesspeople the opportunity to attend the region’s premier annual speakers forum.

“As with so many things these days, it’s not business as usual,” said Sacramento Metro Chamber Vice Chair of Events and Sponsorships Kathy McKim of AT&T. “We wiped the slate clean and started over—re-designing a program from the ground up that will meet the needs of more businesspeople and provide a greater networking and educational experience. We are especially thrilled to have Biz Stone in our lineup this year for this reason.”

Over the last decade, Stone has been instrumental in crafting the new world of social media. Best known as co-founder of Twitter, Stone started off as an Internet entrepreneur, went on to work for Google and is now an advisor on AOL’s philanthropic strategy.

Named one of the “Most Influential People in the World” by TIME and “Entrepreneur of the Decade” by Inc., Stone has now co-founded The Obvious Corporation with long-time collaborators Evan Williams and Jason Goldman to focus on building systems to help people work together to improve the world. The next Perspectives speaker will be announced July 28.

Produced by the Metro Chamber, Perspectives is set for Friday, Sept 23 at the Sacramento Convention Center. The event will run 8 a.m. to noon, immediately following the VIP sponsor breakfast. Power Lunch opportunities at participating member restaurants will be available to all attendees following the program.

“Responding to members’ requests, we’ve compressed the event to a half-day, with three speakers in the lineup,” McKim explained. “This way, individuals don’t have to lose an entire day out of the office. In addition, a new pricing structure brings the cost of attending down.” Individual Perspectives tickets start at just $99.

Perspectives continues to offer exclusive opportunities for hosting prospects, clients and employees in a VIP setting. Sponsor packages start at $2,500 and can include a pre-event networking reception attended by Perspective speakers and a day-of VIP breakfast. “Businesses who need networking and hosting opportunities will find a Perspectives sponsorship level to fit their needs,” McKim said.

For more details and purchase tickets, visit metrochamber.org/perspectives or call 916-444-1919.

Disclosure: Hal Silliman is communications director for the Sacramento Metro Chamber.

Intro to Video Storytelling Workshop July 27

2011-07-18T22:13:19Z

We had a great turnout for our sports writing workshop earlier this month. Thanks to Sam Amick and those who attended. To read the workshop recap, click here.

Video is an important part of storytelling that can be difficult to incorporate without the right equipment and editing knowledge. Andrew Nixon will teach a video workshop from 6:30 - 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 27 at the Sacramento Press office called "Introduction to Video Storytelling."

Nixon is a Sacramento-based multimedia journalist. He has professional experience in photojournalism, as well as various multimedia platforms, including motion graphics, web platforms, and video journalism. He has freelanced for Patch.com and interned at the Sacramento News & Review. He also worked as a staff photographer for Gold Country Media.

He will discuss the capture and editing of footage to create compelling video stories. The workshop will be geared more toward Mac compatible programs, but he can answer questions about other equipment and editing software.

In August, Capital Public Radio's Jeffrey Callison will teach a workshop called "The Art and Craft of Interviewing." A separate email invitation will be sent for that workshop later this month.

Badges will be awarded to participants for attending the workshop. To become a verified community contributor, please bring a government-issued ID.

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107, in the Amtrak station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks.

We recommend you find parking on the street, bike or take light rail, as the Amtrak parking lot charges $2 per half hour, and we cannot cover the cost of parking. If you take light rail, we will give you two passes when you get here - one to cover your trip here and one to cover your trip back.

This workshop is filling up fast and will probably have a waiting list. To RSVP, email workshops@sacramentopress.com. If you RSVP and decide later not to attend, please send us an email to notify us that you will not be coming so we can have an accurate head count.

Thanks, and we hope to see you here!

Moonshine cocktail competition at Shady Lady Saloon

2011-07-18T21:47:28Z

Shady Lady Saloon will add a new white whiskey to its menu called Original Moonshine Clear Corn Whiskey, and to help introduce it, a cocktail competition will be held at 6 p.m. Monday.

White whiskey is different from other whiskey in that it hasn’t been aged in the barrel, or if it has, it’s not for very long, Shady Lady co-owner Jason Boggs said.

There are no guidelines for the competition – just that the bartenders use the Moonshine corn-based whiskey as the main spirit.

Three judges will decide which cocktails win first, second and third prizes, with rewards of $500, $300 and $200, respectively.

The three judges are Chris Dooley, ~~head spirits director~~ bar manager at Ella ~~L Wine Lounge~~ ; Sara Berry of Southern Wine & Spirits and Michael Keltsch, a representative from Moonshine.

“For me, it’s going to be hilarious and fun,” Boggs said. “(The bartenders) have been here all last week practicing.”

He said the bartenders will compete, one at a time, to make a cocktail for the judges.

“You’re gonna see all sorts of creative syrups, smoked ice and (homemade) tinctures,” he added.

Dezi Bush is one of the bartenders competing. She has worked at Shady Lady since February.

“I’ve been obsessing over this cocktail and having nightmares about it,” Bush said.

“It was a hard spirit to work with because it’s a corn whiskey. A lot of ingredients I put in it lost the integrity of the spirit,” she said.

“I feel like everyone who works here is a cocktail geek,” she said and added that she thinks there will be some tough competition.

From 4 p.m. - close, there will be five different Moonshine specialty cocktails available for $5:

Virginia Peach – summer peach muddled with Moonshine, fresh lemon juice, Falernum and fortified wine
Dogwood – blackberries, lemon juice, Moonshine and Aperol. Garnished with a blackberry nested in a lemon peel
Swamp Fire – Rosemary leaves, cola syrup, ginger syrup, lime juice, aromatic bitters and Moonshine
Golden Spike – Cognac, Jasmine Tea Syrup, citrus, Moonshine and spiced bitters
Surveyor’s Cup – Mint leaves, maraschino, Orgeat syrup, lemon juice, celery bitters and Moonshine

Patrons can also order any of the new drinks made during the competition Monday and going forward.

“(It’ll be) a great time to see some great bartenders battle it out,” Boggs added.

Shady Lady Saloon is located at 1409 R St.

Editorial Note: A correction has been made to this story after it was published. The incorrect information has been struck out and the correct information has been added.

Sacramento Press on Insight: Terminal B, cars on K, garlic galore!

2011-07-12T23:20:54Z

Tuesday morning's visit with Jeffrey Callison on KXJZ's "Insight" was full of some pretty good news, from the airport's new Terminal B being nearly ready to open, cars back on K Street and news of a proposed Firestone Public House to replace California Pizza Kitchen at 15th and L streets.

The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors voted down an ordinance to close all the cannabis dispensaries in the county. Now a group of cannabis dispensary owners and stakeholders are proposing working with the county to create an ordinance similar to the city's, which allows dispensaries but regulates them. There are estimated to be as many as 65 dispensaries operating in the county, in addition to the 40 or so operating within the city limits. One advocate said that regulating the county dispensaries could raise as much as $4 million a year for the county. City dispensaries pay the city $40,000 for a license and then $12,000 a year.

There's some good news at the airport, with the construction of the new Terminal B, which wasn't set to open until next spring, opening this fall. That's months ahead of schedule and about $200 million less than originally projected. When construction began in 2008, the terminal project was expected to cost $1.27 billion and was scheduled to open in spring of 2012, but now it's expected to come in just over $1 billion and open in the fall. The reason is that a parking garage and hotel that were originally to be built have been postponed because of the recession.

After what seems like years – because it has been – cars may be back on K Street as early as November, with construction starting next month to convert four blocks of what has been a pedestrian mall back into a multi-use street. The City Council will vote on one of the final steps tonight, which involves taking away the street's designation as pedestrian-only. That means they'll be able to move forward on the project next month.

A lot of people objected when California Pizza Kitchen opened in the remodeled Firestone building at 15th and L in 2009, because they didn't want a chain in downtown. Turns out they were right, and California Pizza Kitchen will be replaced by a "public house" run by two local families with big successes in the area: The Wongs of The Park and the de Vere-Whites of de Vere's Irish Pub. They should be reopening the place early next year.

The Garlic Shack at 19th and J opened a couple of weeks ago, taking the place of Plum Blossom, which closed about six months ago. The garlic fries and rice bowls, made with gluten-free brown rice, are apparently popular. We have some pictures of the new place on the site.

If you were on K Street on Saturday night, you might have been a bit taken aback by all the undead walking around. They had arisen from their graves specially for the launch of the 10th year of the Trash Film Orgy, which opened its six-week run at the Crest Theatre with all sorts of gory and raunchy shenanigans and the first film in the series, "Return of the Living Dead." We have a review and lots of pictures.

And after 52 years in business, Capitol Aquarium at 29th and T has had to close its doors due to slowing business. The Koi pond is now gone. SMUD the electric eel and other fish known as Moby Dick and Sherbet are also gone – as are seven jobs.

And in GOOD business news, longtime vintage clothing store Cheap Thrills, which closed in May after more than 40 years in business, is reopening in a new location just a couple of blocks away, at 17th and L streets. And it's being reopened by its original owner, Linda McNally, with help from her family.

To listen to the audio for this show, click here.

Budget cuts impact resources for major hazmat incident in South Sacramento

2011-07-07T01:43:59Z

Sacramento, CA | A level 3 Hazmat situation shuts down a large industrial area in South Sacramento. Budget weakend hazmat team has to reach out with unusual mutual aid requests.

Wednesday morning, the Sacramento City Fire Department was called to Mike and Sons Inc, in the 8500 block of Elder Creek Road, for a commercial trailer fire. When firefighters arrived “they realized the doors were shut and there was a very pungent odor; so they turned this into a level three hazmat which is the highest level of hazmat response that we have”, Niko King, Assistant Chief for Sacramento City Fire Department stated.

As things progressed, they contacted the shipper and the property owner discovering that there were over forty household products in the trailer, King stated. “For some unknown reason, something happened in there and there was a chemical reaction taking place.”

Evacuations began immediately. King stated that as a result of the off-gassing of the product and wind direction, over fifty-five business were evacuated which equated to 520 people. Reverse 911 was utilized to assist with the evacuations. Traffic was backed up all the way down Young Creek Drive as area workers vacated the industrial park. King stated that the evacuation was in place for about four hours. King also stated that a seven digit hotline was put in place to update evacuees and let them know when they could return to their businesses.

One person, who reportedly inhaled a good amount of the vapors, was transported to the hospital via paramedics.

Large fire suppression lines were put in place in the event they had to fight fire, and measures were taken to protect storm drains from potential contaminated water runoff as a result of firefighting efforts.

“What’s unique about this, Sacramento Fire department just experienced some budget cuts; it cut our hazmat team right in half,” King stated sternly. “…so, we had mutual aid resources from Metro Fire, Hazmat 109 come in. And what was really unique, we had to reach out and get Roseville’s hazmat team to come into the City of Sacramento to assist in mitigating this incident.”

It was finally determined that the substance was some sort of refrigerant oil. The assumption is that due to the warm rising temperature in the trailer, the container of product exploded then mixing with other materials in the trailer.

Many agencies responded to this incident to assist Sacramento City Fire, such as: Sacramento Metro Fire, Roseville Fire, and CERT to name a few. The Red Cross also responded with their Disaster Relief unit.

King stated that all the hazards had been mitigated and the incident would be turned back over to the shipping company.

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County executives, arena benefits and skateboard history

2011-07-06T00:22:25Z

Jeffrey Callison and I discussed a number of local news stories on Capital Public Radio's Insight on Tuesday morning, including the transition between Sacramento county executives, a report on the possible benefits to the region of a new arena, new restaurants opening and a new exhibit at the California Museum.

Friday was the last day of work for more than 200 city employees, including 42 sworn police officers and other police department employees. We spoke with the three city council members who voted against the cuts. We spoke with the three council members who voted against the cuts and asked them why.

The recently renamed Think Big Sacramento (formerly Here We Build) arena committee put out a report last week that suggested that a new downtown arena could bring in 7 billion dollars in the next 30 years. That scenario was roundly dismissed by many of our commentors, who thought that this was a too-rosy scenario meant to sell the arena. We shall see when the regional group tasked with figuring out financing for the arena releases its report in September.

Melissa Corker did profiles of both outgoing County Executive Steve Szalay and his replacement, Brad Hudson, in the last week. Szalay had some good advice for his successor (“Don’t screw up!”) and Hudson seemed to have a pretty good grip on what he’s taking on. He said that the thing that he’s most proud of in Riverside County was that he and his staff saw the recession coming in 2007 and used attrition to right-size the government there. He also oversaw a big increase in the use of technology. He’s a Lakers fan, though...

The drama at the Coop continues over bath salts and kosher wine. A small group of determined anti-Israel activists are taking the Coop board to court to get them to put a boycott of Israeli products to a vote of the entire membership. The Coop’s board members have twice voted, unanimously, against doing that, but the protesters are adamant and are willing to take the cooperative to court over this.

Old Ironsides is not doing live music at the moment, though the future of that is in question. We reported that Jerry Perry, who has booked shows at Old I for the last 10 years as well as at other venues, has stopped booking shows there in frustration after the owners of the venue had a rented PA removed and wanted Perry or the bands that play at the club to rent a PA for their gigs. Perry rejected that as impractical and moved his shows. We’re still waiting to see how this is resolved, but it has caused some consternation in the local music community.

There’s going to be a new restaurant bar on J Street at 24th, when Tex Mex Bar and Grill becomes the River Rock Tap House this Saturday. The place is being opened by two guys who have experience in local restaurants, including Tex Mex next door on J Street, and will replace Keolanui’s restaurant. The Tap House will feature as many as 40 West Coast brews on tap and is being opened by the same duo that opened a River Rock Tap House in Citrus Heights 17 years ago. They intend to move into the old Cornerstone Restaurant space in about a month, where they will serve coffee and breakfast.

Speaking of restaurants, all food service employees will be required to take a course in food safety, after which they will receive a certification card. There’s been some unhappiness among food service workers, since they will be required to pay for the $15 certification, but generally people seem OK with the new requirements.

Finally, there is a new exhibit at the California Museum downtown, which just started on Friday and runs through next March. The exhibit looks at one of California’s home grown sports, skateboarding, which has a 50 year history and is now an international phenomenon. The exhibit was curated by the legendary skateboarder and surfer Nathan Pratt, who was in the “Dogtown and Z-Boys” documentary of nearly 10 years ago. There are a lot of skate decks being displayed, as well as multimedia exhibits showcasing the sport. The show first opened in Santa Monica, this is its second exhibition.

To listen to the audio for this show, click here.

East Sac July 4th Parade Photos

2011-07-04T22:18:39Z

It has become a tradition for me to photograph East Sacramento's parade on July 4 that moves along 41st and 42nd Streets each year.

Here's some snapshots from this morning:

Sacramento Press on Insight: Good news for a change!

2011-06-28T21:10:14Z

When I visited with Jeffrey Callison on Capital Public Radio's Insight Tuesday morning, the news was better than usual: topics included the improved financial picture for the city regarding the redevelopment of K Street’s 700 block, a new Goodwill for downtown and news of Jackie Greene’s new band.

After its unanimous approval by the City Council last week, Sacramento Press reporter Melissa Corker detailed the improved financial outlook for the development of the 700 block of K Street. With some new federal money secured, the city’s investment shrank from $16 million to $14.7 million, which means the city will now get about 40 percent of the return the block will stimulate, through taxes on sales and incomes. The developers also say that if the property is sold, the city will get 20 percent of the profits after loans are repaid.
All of this led Councilman Rob Fong to call it “a great investment for the city.”

There was also a surprising new concept for developing Cal Expo unveiled on Friday, which would add 120,000 square feet to the exhibition space and build a new 10,000-seat amphitheatre.

Public input was requested for library cuts after the county announced that it will be cutting about $800,000 from the Sacramento County library system’s 28 libraries. Forums will be held at three different locations in July, at which library users will be able to tell library staffers which programs and library functions they want to see survive the cuts. We published a list of the dates and times of those meetings.

There’s a new Goodwill store in Midtown, but this one’s a bit different: It features vintage clothing culled from other standard Goodwill stores and is aimed at discriminating Midtown shoppers who are looking for more stylish items than one might find in a regular Goodwill store. It’s at 16th and L streets.

And credit where it’s due: Last week The Sacramento Bee reported that Regional Transit may restore late night-service after four years of nothing but cuts. RT is dependent on sales tax revenues for half of its budget (fares pay only a quarter), and sales tax is up this year after shoppers started returning to stores. RT will wait another month to make sure that the trend is solid, then will resume late-night (after midnight) service. Currently, most trains stop rolling at 9:30 p.m.

The state Senate approved a bill that will help local fire departments get more in federal funds for providing ambulance transport for MediCal recipients. It will be paid for through the federal MediCare program and will reimburse local fire departments as much as 50 percent. Fire departments are mandated to transport MediCal patients and as many as two thirds of their calls are for medical emergencies. Only 4 percent are for actual fires. This could mean as much as $90 million for state fire departments this year, and $50 million each for subsequent years.

Old Sacramento is going to be expanding its tourist offerings starting next year, including the extension of the excursion trains south as far as Hood and with the further development of underground tours and perhaps even the addition of a 19th century clipper ship at the riverfront. Public hearings have already been held, and now the proposals, by the Department of Parks and Recreation, will be going through one more public review and then on to the City Council for a vote. It is expected to be finalized next year.

More than 1,000 Sacramento-area nonprofits had their nonprofit status revoked by the IRS as part of a clean up of their books after a 2006 pension reform act. Most of those 1,000 or so organizations have ceased to exist, but two local organizations we contacted have some work to do: One, the California-Nevada Soft Drink Association, didn’t know its status had been revoked until we called them about it, and the other, ironically, is the Sacramento City Taxpayers’ Rights League!

We reported last week that local favorite son Jackie Greene has formed a new band, Trigger Hippy, that includes three former members of the Black Crowes, as well as singer Joan Osborne, who, like Greene, has performed with former members or versions of Grateful Dead. Jackie will reportedly also be performing as a trio with former Dead member Bob Weir and former Black Crowe lead singer Chris Robinson.

The mobile food movement is moving outside of the central city. Thursday, a group of local food trucks composed of the Mini Burger Truck, Mama Kim on the Go and Drewski’s Hot Rod Kitchen gathered in the parking lot of Tognotti’s Auto World at Fulton and El Camino for the first event held by the fledgling Sacramento Food Truck Alliance. This was just outside the city limits, beyond the reach of the food truck ordinance that the Alliance is aiming to overturn. And it will happen again this Thursday from 5-8 p.m. at Tognotti’s.

To listen to the audio for this show, click here.

RAAM UPDATE: Team SacPD on final push through the Appalachians

2011-06-24T19:26:29Z

Team SacPD is on their home stretch. “Group B is on the way to meet group A for our final day of racing. On the way to the finish line!” was sent out on the team’s Twitter feed Friday morning.

Having cycled just over 2,820 since Saturday afternoon’s start, Team SacPD has just 176 miles to go, however, embedded photographer Kati Garner stated, “…the last day of RAAM is not an easy ride for the racers…..they are in the Appalachians, full of ascents and descents for miles and miles.”

Team SacPD is the first all police officer team in the history of Race Across America (RAAM), fully comprised of police officers from the Sacramento Police Department doing the race on their personal vacation time with a goal to bring support and recognition to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.

“The Sacramento Police Department is embarking on a unique adventure that will bring national attention to the nearly 19,000 law enforcement officers who have been killed while protecting the communities of this nation,” Sacramento Police Chief Rick Braziel stated.

The Chief further stated, “On average, one law enforcement officer is killed in the line of duty somewhere in the United States every 53 hours. As a racing member of Team SPD, I encourage you to help us at the Sacramento Police Department honor America’s law enforcement officers as we work to commemorate the sacrifice of our fallen comrades.”

As the team rides their final leg Friday, the time clock is shadowed by their passionate mission. Todd Carr, crew person, stated “it is stressful because of tough navigation, little sleep and the climbs. This past week has taken a toll on our racers. We can’t see the end of the tunnel because we have major mountains in our way.”

As the team members trade off in the relay, they’re able to get messages from the crew members who are monitoring their Facebook and Twitter feeds. You are able to cheer them on through this last leg by messaging them directly.

TeamSacPD’s Twitter: CLICK HERE>>
TeamSacPD’s Facebook Fan Page: CLICK HERE>>

Meet the entire team volunteer support crew at their RAAM web site>>

L Street Goodwill opens its doors

2011-06-24T19:22:03Z

A new “boutique” Goodwill store has opened its doors on L and 16th Streets, offering area shoppers a well organized, eco-friendly retail experience and deals on merchandise like books, lamps, shoes and purses.

Store manager Noelle McCrea said the L Street location is unique in that its stock is handpicked from Goodwill locations across the country. While other Goodwills accept and sell most all donations, a “boutique” Goodwill strives to feature name brands, high-quality and vintage goods.

Clothing is centrally located and sectioned into garment-specific, labeled racks, like: women’s plus size tops, long sleeve knit tops, lingerie, men’s jackets and men’s dress shirts.

The women’s section is stocked with summery skirts and sleeveless blouses in the $5 range, along with vintage Levis cut-off shorts and skirts for $20.

The “Goodwill Fashionista” racks, located on the store’s front left wall, are targeted toward younger, more trend-conscious shoppers and feature an array of knit tops and juniors-sized jeans from brands like American Eagle, DKNY, Gap and Ralph Lauren, priced in the $20 range.
Susan Finnerman, who came out to the opening in search of skirts, said she enjoys shopping at thrift stores that are well organized, noting that the Goodwill’s women’s shoe section is arranged by size, each shelf labeled with a corresponding number.

Mother of eight, Lisa Farnworth, whose youngest son tipped her off to the opening, said that she has tried to teach all of her children to appreciate the money-saving advantage of thrift stores.

Farnworth added that she’s not necessarily a “big green person,” but that recycling clothes makes sense to her.

“If I can (be eco-friendly), I will,” she said

Shopper Charlie Hamdeh, for whom “style is more important than brand name,” was pleased to find a pair of shiny, black leather loafers in a hard-to-come-by size 13, noting that elsewhere the same pair would have cost him a lot more than Goodwill’s $13 price tag.

Tony Coelho was driving by the store and decided to see what its DVD section had to offer.

Coelho said he “loves the surprises he finds in Goodwill,” and appreciates its selection of “classic movies” not always available in movie retailers like Blockbuster.

Having already found a few candles and a striped blouse, Barbara Wood was on the hunt for a Brandy glass amongst the store’s several shelves of glassware.

“Why pay 50 dollars for a glass when you can pay 50 cents,” she said.

The store’s glassware is slightly more expensive than at some other thrift stores, ranging in price from $3-$5, but the selection is sturdier and more attractive than what one might expect to find second-hand.

The shop’s book selection is vast and varied, housed on four curving, wooden shelves towards the back of the store. Hardbacks and softbacks are organized according to genres including: fiction, fantasy, women’s studies, history, cooking and self help.

Atop the bookshelves sit like-new lamps, in a variety of sizes and styles, from bulbous glass bases to sleek, muted shades, priced around $15.

According to Goodwill employee Nick Hammom, the sales team has been at work gathering stock for the 5,000-square-foot space since February. The team visually assessed every CD and DVD, checking them for scratches and misplaced discs before putting them on the sales floor.

The store’s employees gave soft goods donations the same critical treatment, discarding any items with holes, stains and even fuzz balls, Hammon said.

In addition to its supply of quality goods, McCrea said that the shop’s Midtown locale will likely made it a good source of revenue for Goodwill Industries, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide “gainful employment and job training” to under-served communities.

“Everyone knows retail is more pricey in Midtown, so we could capture a higher dollar value here,” McCrea said.

McCrea added that she was “thrilled” with the turnout for the store’s opening.

“Goodwill has a huge following. We’ve seen a lot of familiar faces today, and we hope to create a following in downtown Sacramento,” she said.

Review: Conan O'Brien Can't Stop

2011-06-23T09:44:12Z

by Tony Sheppard
Capitol Weekly

Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop
Directed by Rodman Flender

Last summer, Sacramento’s Memorial Auditorium was one of the venues for Conan O’Brien’s “The Legally Prohibited From Being Funny on Television Tour.” That tour is now the focus of the behind the scenes documentary “Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop” – a somewhat unflinching look at an attempt to make show business lemonade from a deluge of unwanted lemons (or perhaps, in some opinions, a single unwanted Leno).

For those who live in caves, go to bed at 9pm, or go to bed at 9pm in caves, last year saw messy contract negotiations over late night programming at NBC. Years earlier, O’Brien had been promised the holy grail of talk shows, “The Tonight Show” at 11:35pm. However, when the moment arrived, incumbent host Jay Leno made it clear that he wasn’t ready or willing to retire. Rather than risk the possibility of having Leno end up with a competitive show on another network, NBC created an earlier 10pm talk show for Leno, and simultaneously attempted to cash in on the fact that shows of this nature also happen to be cheaper to produce than hour-long dramas, traditional favorites in that time period.

But the experiment failed. Leno fans, and other fans of “The Tonight Show” who preferred to get to bed sooner, now had a favorable option 95 minutes earlier in the evening. Meanwhile later night audiences and O’Brien fans watched the traditional timeslot, with both shows generating what were considered by the network to be disappointing ratings. Leno was still reluctant to walk away and NBC pitched a desperate attempt to solve the problem by suggesting that Leno return to 11:35pm, but in a truncated 30 minute format. O’Brien would then follow at 12:05am, with Jimmy Fallon’s later show being pushed back from a 12:35am start to 1:05am, and Carson Daly going even later.

O’Brien rejected this plan, saying at the time that he didn’t want to be the host who took “The Tonight Show” into a timeslot that meant it was no longer “tonight.” He also clearly felt that his contract was being breached and that there was a lack of good faith in both the way that he was being treated as well as the ripple effects that would impact the hosts of the later shows. And so he walked away from the prize franchise, leaving himself out of work, contractually prohibited from appearing on television, heavily compensated, but also overwhelmingly angry. And the short term result of channeling that anger was the aforementioned tour.

The film goes behind the scenes as the tour is planned and executed, and examines the dynamics of life on the road – in this case for someone unused to that schedule. Fans of O’Brien get to see a side normally hidden from view, as he works with his creative team, not always entirely positively – and he doesn’t attempt to hide his feelings about the situation. Non-fans will likely find it a fascinating examination of celebrity, including the difficulty of remaining upbeat in front of adoring fans. It’s not unusual to hear fans of certain artists complaining about abrupt or inhospitable encounters with their idols. What this film illustrates is how remarkable it can be that any celebrities ever manage to avoid that kind of behavior in the face of constant demands for their time, regardless of what else is happening. At times, O’Brien seems like he won’t make it, not because of the already grueling schedule of the shows themselves, but because of the endless extra commitments: Meet-and-greets, private parties, extra shows, hordes of adoring fans, and even his own college reunion at Harvard.

The title of the film is taken from an exchange in which it becomes apparent that O’Brien can’t imagine not working and, as was reported at the time, some of his motivation also came from trying to keep at least some of his production team employed. The end result is a neat film about a funny guy dealing with a difficult period in his career in what appears to be the only way he knows how – by laughing about it, and hoping others will too. It’s insightful, personal, and well worth checking out.

Conan O'Brien Can't Stop opens on Friday, June 24th at the Crest Theatre. Information and showtimes can be found at www.thecrest.com.

The film's official website, including the trailer, can be found at www.conanobriencantstop.com.

Insight on fees, cops, and the 700 block

2011-06-21T17:04:07Z

Final approval of the 700 block of K Street, a new executive for Sacramento County, local entertainment and building fees going up and a new park proposed for Midtown are among the topics discussed Tuesday by David Watts Barton and Jeffrey Callison on Capital Public Radio's Insight.

Tonight's City Council meeting will include a vote on the final approval on the 700 block of K Street. It's gone through every level of approval and this means that they will be able, as Bay Miry told me, to do what we know how to do, which is build stuff. They're talking about 14 businesses on that block, including a tapas bar, a nightclub, restaurants and bars. This has the potential to transform K Street and downtown even more than the George Karpaty Dive Bar development three blocks east.

Also tonight, the council will vote on layoffs at the Sacramento Police Department. Things got a little better on the budget front last week, after the federal government gave the city a $3 million waiver, which means that instead of laying off 81 sworn officers, they will be voting on laying off 46 officers. It's not great, but it's better than it might have been. An additional 68 people will still be laid off at the department.
But in advance of tonight's vote, the police union isn't giving an inch in negotiations, as we reported this morning. New council member Darryl Fong, a retired cop, showed fierce independence in refusing to give what little remains of the city's reserve funds to the police.

Sacramento County got a new executive officer last week. His name is Brad Hudson, and he comes from the city of Riverside in the Inland Empire, and he inherits a terrible budget situation at the county. He starts work on Aug. 14.

Last week's city council meeting saw the council approve 18 different fee changes, raising 12 existing fees and creating six new ones, including for various building department fees and for entertainment permits, which went up about $300 each. That prompted some protests from the Midtown Business Association and various entertainment venues such as Faces. As much as those are, the fees barely put a dent in the city's costs of doing the permits. And especially given the city's current financial woes, those aren't really many changes compared to the 2009-2010 budget, in which there were a whopping 237 fee adjustments.

A new park proposed for Midtown moved ahead a bit last week. Two plans for the empty space at the corner of 19th and Q streets, just north of the Safeway store on 19th, were presented at a meeting, along with environmental reports regarding the "brownfields" remediation plans, since the space was contaminated by the nearby railroad. The two different proposals are detailed in our article by SacPress intern Amy Wong.

The just-assembled arena financing coalition held its first meeting last Thursday, and our reporter Suzanne Hurt was there to cover it. The Here We Build coalition of 70 local politicians and others has been given until Sept. 8 to come up with a financing plan that appeals to the community and the Maloof family. The team told Suzanne that they will be holding meetings about every two weeks until the deadline. The next one will be next Thursday, June 30.

Sacramento's landmark Elks Tower, built in the 1920s, is finally going to have something going into the space where FedEx used to have an office. It will be a cafe, bar and chocolate place in the lower space that also holds a big old empty pool that used to be quite notorious in the 1970s. Steve Ayers and his family, who own Railbridge Winery on 16th Street, are going to be opening a 14th floor Elks Tower Penthouse Lounge in a couple of weeks. This used to be the home of Sactown magazine and before that, KZAP radio.

Redistricting maps were turned in a few weeks ago and have been narrowed down by the Citizens Advisory Committee on Redistricting, from 37 to 15. They will be further whittled down to about five choices that the city council will then reference as they go about the final decisions in advance of the July deadline. The committee meets every Monday night and the public is encouraged to attend.

The 10th Annual French Film Festival had its first weekend at the Crest Theatre downtown, and will conclude this coming weekend with a film about the legendary pop music auteur Serge Gainsbourg on Sunday night. We have a review of the first weekend and a schedule for the rest of the festival up at Sacramento Press.

And finally, a bit further afield, the first Davis Music Festival is this weekend, and our newest staff member Aaron Davis wrote a piece about the Truth and Salvage Company, which has played in Sacramento four times in the last year and has really fired up some of our music writers. Local bands playing the festival include Miss Lonely Hearts and Musical Charis.

To listen to audio for this show, click here.

RAAM UPDATE: It's all downhill from here

2011-06-21T06:49:28Z

It’s all downhill from here… so to speak. Monday, in the Race Across America, Team SacPD concurred their highest elevation climb of the race. With their climb to nearly 11,000 feet above sea level Monday, the team has climbed a total of 55,952 vertical feet since the start of the race Saturday.

From this point, the majority of the race is downhill except for a few smaller elevations climbs later in the race.

At the time of this posting, the team is skirting the southern part of Colorado and is about half way across the state. At this point they have traveled almost 1,030 miles and have about 1,969 miles to go.

The only significant challenge reported today was a racers blown tire shortly after the start of the day.

RAAM UPDATE: Team SacPD has strong second day

2011-06-20T07:14:00Z

Sunday was a long but rewarding day for Team SacPD in their second day of Race Across America. The team traversed north east through Arizona and at the time of this posting they are just north of Tuba City heading toward Utah.

Team SacPD is now 33 hours into the race and have traveled over 615 miles. They have climed a total of 32,744 vertical feet and are presently around 5,000 feet above sea level and will reach around 11,000 feet in this assent.

The day was not without challenges. Early in the day one of the riders wasn't feeling well and had to sit out several relay rotations, but later returned to the race reportedly doing well. The same van that broke down Saturday developed mechanical trouble again Sunday near Sedona, Arizona, forcing the team to shuffle some crew and gear around.

Overall, the crew and team remain strong and in good spirits. They have aproximately 2,381 miles to go.

RAAM Update: Team SacPD starts strong Saturday afternoon

2011-06-19T06:10:01Z

Team SacPD, started the Race Across America (RAAM) Saturday afternoon. Starting from the pier in Oceanside, they already peddled over 170 miles with just under 2,830 to go at the time of this post. They have cumulatively climbed 8,789 vertical feet and reached a top elevation just over 4,000 above sea level.

The team is now commencing a stretch in the race where over the next 750 miles they will ascend to an elevation of over 10,000 feet above sea level. Until they reach that elevation, they will be on a consistent climb with few brief downhill breathers.

Shortly after the races start, one of the teams vans with relief riders on board, broke down with radiator issues. “1st crisis! One van died…. We will be flexible and work through it,” the team stated on their Facebook page.

And they're off... Team SacPD starts trek across America Saturday

2011-06-18T20:19:36Z

Oceanside, CA | Team SacPD starts pedaling across America, a 3,000 mile trek, at 2PM today and will end in Annapolis, Maryland.

The first all police team to compete in the Race Across America (RAAM), Team SacPD, entirely comprised of officers from the Sacramento Police Department, assembled in Oceanside over the past few days, prepping and taking care of last-minute details heading into the big start at 2PM Saturday in Oceanside.

Team SacPD is riding to raise awareness of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. “The eight member SPD Team will raise money and bring media attention to the National Law Enforcement Memorial, Washington DC. Working with the hundreds of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies along the route, Team SPD will honor law enforcement officers killed by carrying their names, visiting local and state memorials, and encouraging media coverage of our efforts,” Chief Rick Braziel stated.

Friday the team was busy with preparatory activities: Chief Braziel and another officer were interviewed for a documentary of their RAAM experience, per embedded Maverick Photographer, Kati Garner. Teams also went to see the first part of the race and posed for team and individual photos. Participant support vehicles were inspected yesterday as well as their bikes, shoes and helmets for safety.

For more information about Team SacPD, read their bios and learn more about their mission, you can visit their site here>>

Follow Team SacPD’s progress here>>
locate Team Sacramento Police in the category dropdown menu on the top right.

More photos from Friday>>

TeamSacPD's Facebook Page>>

Follow TeamSacPD's Twitter>>

Melissa Corker steps into city hall

2011-06-14T02:08:24Z

Monday was Melissa Corker's first official day as City Hall reporter here at The Sacramento Press. But it may not have seemed that way to her – or even to you.

After all, Melissa has a history with us; she's written a dozen stories for us as an intern after finishing her degree in government journalism at Sacramento State.

But I'd like to officially welcome her to The Sacramento Press staff. She's working this week with our first city hall reporter – our first reporter at all, in fact – Kathleen Haley, who heads to a new life and career in San Francisco. Next week, Melissa's in charge at City Hall.

Of our coverage, that is. And she is going to take charge of the city government beat when city government needs an aggressive press more than ever. We at The Sacramento Press take very seriously the opportunity to watch government, every single day, and to hold it accountable to you.

And we expect to be held accountable, too.

Has there been a time in recent decades when what our local government does – and how our press covers it – affected us more than now? When money gets tight, when jobs are threatened inside and outside of City Hall, when city services can't serve the city... this is the time we need a strong press.

That means that we want to encourage and enable our community to take part in this process, whether it's writing stories, or calling in tips, or pointing out our mistakes or misinterpretations in the conversation below each story.

We are all a part of this story. But as full-time City Hall reporter, Melissa will hold a very special position in that process, and I for one will depend on her for the raw information and nuanced insight that allows me to form opinions. She will do the same for all of us. I have no doubt of that.

Melissa brings a curiosity about process, a passion for city government and an absolutely ferocious attention to detail. She is no-nonsense and direct, but naturally polite. She understands people, and she is disciplined and hard-working.

Some of this life expertise may come from running a household that includes four kids, but we think she was just born that way. In any case, that experience will likely serve her well in covering local politics.

Our coverage is already widely recognized among close observers of city politics to be among the most comprehensive in town. We publish a story about city government virtually every day, often more than one. We cover the stories that are too small for some, not visual enough for others, and a lot of stories that stay interesting once the pack has moved on.

Melissa and our five-person editorial team will continue to build on the fine work that Kathleen has done during her two years with us. Kathleen Haley had a big hand in putting us on the map, and she made us friends (or at least acquaintances) in high places. And she taught me all sorts of obscure governmental arcana I've already forgotten.

She was a pleasure to work with. We will miss her.

And welcome, Melissa Corker.

The Hangtown National Motocross pleased local crowds

2011-05-24T06:51:19Z

Sacramento, CA | Motorcycle engines roared, dirt flew and riders grabbed air Saturday in the fortieth annual Hangtown Classic.

Almost prophetically, Brandon Short, Media Manager for MX Sports Pro Racing stated in an earlier press release, "With the overall victory at Hangtown last year to his credit, Two Two Motorsports/Bel-Ray racing's Chad Reed should also be a fixture at the front of the field on Saturday and beyond." Short went on to say "...the 2009 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Champion had an up and down season during his title defense, but with a clean bill of health and support from Factory Honda, Reed is eager to show his younger counterparts that he's still ready to mix it up."

And mix it up Reed did. For the second year in a row, Chad Reed, originally from Australia, grabbed this year's title riding a Honda CRF45R. The previous year's records show he took the title astride a Kawasaki KX450F.

"We came here this weekend and it was a totally different track than what we were expecting; I was pleasantly surprisde. It was a lot of fun." Reed said adamently, "I would admint saying that I don't like this place."

Riders who hale from all over the world came to race at this star studded event. Some local riders are from Walnut Creek, Lodi, Yuba City, Carmichael and more.

Blake Baggett, riding a Kawasaki grabbed the crown this year in the 250 Class

1. Blake Baggett
2. Dean Wilson
3. Tyla Rattray
4. Eli Tomac
5. Marvin Musquin
6. Gareth Swanepoel
7. Kyle Cunningham
8. Darryn Durham
9. Broc Tickle
10. Cole Seely

The 450 Class results is as follows:

1. Chad Reed
2. Ryan Dungey
3. Ryan Villopoto
4. Kevin Windham
5. Brett Metcalfe
6. Davi Milsaps
7. Tommy Hahn
8. Christophe Pourcel
9. Ricky Dietrich
10. Christian Craig

Visit SacMav for additional photos
and lots of action fiels

Join us at SacMav.com

Violence and bottles break at downtown Parlare Euro Lounge

2011-05-22T01:01:00Z

Sacramento, CA | Fists and bottles fly early Saturday morning at Parlare Euro Lounge, leaving one person in serious condition.

Just around midnight Saturday, a fight started at the Parlare Euro Lounge on the corner of 10th and J Streets in downtown Sacramento.

“The fight spilled out from the club into the street. One of the security guards was hit in the head with a bottle, subsequently fought with the original suspect who in turn, turned and fought with another suspect who was also hit with a bottle,” Sargent Wendy Brown, Sacramento Police Department stated.

Later the area was deemed a tapped off crime scene with CSI collecting evidence and photos as one of the injured person’s condition worsened. Per Sargent Norm Leong, Sacramento Police Department’s Public Information Officer, the subject is now listed in serious condition.

Vist the scene via raw footage and hear from Sargent Brown about the incident>>

See what we're up to at Maverick Photography

Visit us for Sacramento Action news
colaborating with Sacramento Press

Capitol Garage shooting

2011-05-21T23:52:00Z

Sacramento, CA | Friends were saying good-bye for the evening downtown when shots rang out and two people were injured.

As friends were enjoying the wonderful evening air outside Capitol Garage early Saturday morning and getting ready to part ways, a black male wearing a hoody walked by and shot into the crowed, per Sargent Wendy Brown of the Sacramento Police Department.

Brown stated that two women were struck by the shooters bullets. One sustained a significant gunshot wound to the leg while the other woman was grazed in the leg. They were transported to the hospital via paramedics.

“We are assuming the women were not the intended targets. There were no problems going on at the club,” Brown stated.

Officers discovered one slug that had lodged in the trunk of a tree.

The shooter remains at large on got away in a maroon, four door Dodge Intrepid with chrome rims.

Hear from Sargent Brown and visit the scene [video]

Visit us at Maverick Photography

Your Sacramento Action News Source working in collaboration with Sacramento Press

Hangtown motocross celebrates four decades Saturday

2011-05-21T15:09:42Z

This year marks the fortieth running of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship. Celebrated as the most historic motocross race in the United States, the kickoff is Saturday afternoon at Hangtown in Rancho Cordova, California.

Jason Weigandt will be the Pro Moto Cross Championship play-by-play anouncer on television. The event will be telivised on NBC, SPEED & FUEL Networks.

In a world of Moto Cross starr studded event Thursday at the Capital, Weigandt introduced several of the world's top racers to Sacramento along with several dignataries. Bikes, race participants, sponsors and more were on hand to introduce folks to the world of American Motocross and allow fans to get some quality with their favorite world class racers. Ryders on hand to meet and greet and autograph posters.

Weigandt lists ten things to watch for at Hangtown: >>

The Short run
Supercorss Hangover
Ladies
Dungey keeps it simple
The wild card
Wide open
Orangemen
Rebuild time
Doing it the right way
The great outdoors

Racers will compete in three different classes: two for Men = 450 CC bikes & 250CC bikes, and one for females.
There are twelve races in the championship chase that runs across the United States, ending in Southern California in September.

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS MORE INFORMATION ON TODAY'S HANGTOWN EVENTS>>

Visit us at MaverickPhotography

Get your action news fix

Photos by Maverick Intern, Andrew Guthrie

Sac Press Tools and Tricks workshop May 26

2011-05-13T23:28:51Z

Thanks to those of you who attended our review writing panel Thursday with Rachel Leibrock, Carla Meyer and Nick Miller. Read the workshop recap here.

We will have another workshop this month titled, "Sac Press Tools and Tricks." Geoff Samek, vice president of product for The Sacramento Press, will highlight some of the newer and lesser-known features of the website.

Samek will also give a quick overview of important web technologies that come in handy in the current media world. He will answer any questions you may have about the site and its functionality and features.

The workshop will be from 6:30 - 8 p.m. May 26 at our office.

Badges will be awarded to participants for attending the workshop. To become a verified community contributor, please bring a government-issued ID.

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107, in the Amtrak station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks.

We recommend you find parking on the street, bike or take light rail, as the Amtrak parking lot charges $2 per half hour, and we cannot cover the cost of parking. If you take light rail, we will give you two passes when you get here – one to cover your trip here and one to cover your trip back.

To RSVP for this workshop, email workshops@sacramentopress.com. If you RSVP and decide later not to attend, please send us an email to notify us that you will not be coming so we can have an accurate head count.

Thanks, and we hope to see you there!

Sacramento's release party for "The Times of Harvey Milk"

2011-05-10T22:06:57Z

Criterion Films is re-releasing the Award Winning Documentary "The Times of Harvey Milk" and the Harvey Milk Foundation will host the official viewing celebration in Sacramento on Tuesday, May 17. This viewing is the first of many weeklong events to celebrate Harvey Milk Day 2011.

The evening kicks off with an exclusive conversation between Stuart Milk, nephew of LGBT activist Harvey Milk and the founder of the Harvey Milk Foundation, and Assemblymember Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) on Harvey Milk’s impact and efforts underway in Sacramento to keep his legacy alive. Greg Lucas, the chief correspondent of California's Capitol, will moderate this conversation.

This event is brought to you by the Harvey Milk Foundation, VSP Vision Care, Hot Italian Pizza & Panini Bar, the California Biotechnology Foundation, The California Museum, Equality California (EQCA), and many others. This event is FREE with RSVP (see flyer for details).

The Harvey Milk Foundation is hosting other events in California cities during the week leading up to Harvey Milk Day on Sunday, May 22 – visit this website for a list of all other celebrations: http://harveymilkday.co.

In 2009, the California State Legislature passed, and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed, SB 572 designating every May 22 as "Harvey Milk Day.” SB 572 was authored by Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) and sponsored by Equality California (EQCA). May 22, 2010 marked the very first “Harvey Milk Day” and the official launch of the Harvey Milk Foundation. The Foundation brought California’s political leaders, celebrities and civil rights advocates together to celebrate Harvey’s legacy. Events were held in Sacramento, San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

The Harvey Milk Foundation was established in 2010 as a non-profit charitable organization. The Foundation, through Harvey Milk’s dream for a just tomorrow, envisions governments that celebrate the rich and universally empowering diversity of all humanity without exception. Harvey Milk was the first openly gay elected official in a major city in the US. He was assassinated in San Francisco’s City Hall in November 1978. The Foundation was established by Harvey’s nephew, Stuart Milk, and Anne Kronenberg, Harvey’s campaign manager and political aide. Harvey believed broad public education and dialogue was paramount to his life’s work as a civil rights leader and, as if riding on Harvey’s shoulders, the Milk Foundation seeks to inspire individuals, communities and organizations to carry on his values in a timeless vision for a better world.

Disclosure: Justin Knighten works with the Harvey Milk Foundation and is handling public relations for Harvey Milk Day events

Rebirth of Marshall School in Midtown

2011-05-10T19:14:41Z

“Well you roll on roads over fresh green grass. For your lorry loads pumping petrol gas. And you make them long, and you make them tough. But they just go on and on, and it seems that you can’t get off…

Well you’ve cracked the sky, scrapers fill the air. But will you keep on building higher til there’s no more room up there? …

I know we’ve come a long way, Were changing day to day, But tell me, where do the children play?”

Cat Stevens

In the rush to make Sacramento a big city we seem to concentrate on the expanding bars, restaurants, basketball arena, high rises, and other superficial aspects of a big city. We forget that key components to a successful revitalized city are the children and good schools.

A major step to bringing good schools back to downtown occurred last Saturday at Old Marshall School at 28th and G Streets. The California Montessori Project, Capitol Campus, a public charter grade school, had a ceremonial march of over 250 students, parents and neighbors from their old leased space at Pioneer Congregational Church at 28th and L Streets to their new home at Historic Marshall School at 28th and G Streets.

Marshall School, built in 1903 and designed by Rudolph Harold, a locally prominent architect who designed City Hall, was used as a grade school until 1976. In the 1960s and 70s, the great exodus of families from the central city led to the conversion of Marshall School into an adult school. Gradually, as pioneer restoration people began to return to the central city in the 1980s with their families, changing attitudes about living in Midtown, Metro Square and other housing developments began to set the foundation for bringing the school back to Midtown.

On August 17, Old Marshall Adult School will be reborn again into a quality grade school, renamed to California Montessori Project, Capitol Campus at Historic Marshall. This historic moment is brought into perspective if we consider that the establishment of a public grade school in the central city is the first in 70 years.

Let’s take this opportunity in the economic recession to reestablish our priorities and make sure we make room for children in our city’s growth. If we ignore this critical element we will fail.

Editor's note: This article was temporarily removed and reposted again. All reposted articles appear at the top of the story feed.

Mother's Day at World Peace Rose Garden

2011-05-09T19:53:39Z

Mother's Day seemed a good to capture the flowers and people at our State Capitol's Rose Garden. Pretty much everything was showing its splendor. Whiffs of fragrance filled the air as I strolled through it.

Here's some photos from Mother's Day:

For info on the rose garden CLICK HERE>>>

Review writing panel May 12 with Rachel Leibrock, Carla Meyer and Nick Miller

2011-05-04T05:45:12Z

With Concerts in the Park kicking off Friday and the California Music Circus season around the corner, there will be lots of opportunities to review shows, both indoors and outdoors.

Looking to share your great or not-so-great experiences with others? The Sacramento Press will hold a panel on review writing at our office from 6:30 - 8 p.m. Thursday, May 12. Three panelists will teach you the do’s and don’ts of review writing and share some of their own experiences.

This is a great opportunity to ask the pros how they review concerts, theater, comedy and other performances.

The three panelists are Rachel Leibrock, Carla Meyer and Nick Miller.

Leibrock writes about arts and culture for the Sacramento News & Review. She also teaches journalism at Sacramento City College and previously worked at The Sacramento Bee as an arts and entertainment writer. You can find some of her work at thursdayafternoongirls.wordpress.com and www.writegrrrl.com.

Meyer is an entertainment writer at The Sacramento Bee. She was The Bee's movie critic from 2005-2009. Carla came to The Bee from the San Francisco Chronicle, where she wrote film reviews and features and co-wrote "Stein & Meyer: Movie Insider," a twice-weekly column about film and the film industry. Meyer also once worked as an assignment editor for the datebook and sports sections of The Chronicle.

Miller edits Sacramento News & Review's news and arts sections and writes a weekly column on the local music scene. He got his start as a distribution driver and is now associate editor.

Badges will be awarded to participants for attending the workshop. To become a verified community contributor, please bring a government-issued ID.

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107, in the Amtrak station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks.

We recommend you find parking on the street, bike or take light rail, as the Amtrak parking lot charges $2 per half hour, and we cannot cover the cost of parking. If you take light rail, we will give you two passes when you get here – one to cover your trip here and one to cover your trip back.

Thanks, and we hope to see you there!

Men in Heels - More photos

2011-05-02T21:45:45Z

Here's some more photos from Saturday's WEAVE fundraiser involving men wearing heels for one mile!

It was a pretty funny sight!

Check out this ARTICLE about it

SacPress Photos | Kati Garner

DUI driver injures three in Downtown crash

2011-04-17T03:35:58Z

Sacramento, CA | An alleged drunk driver crashed into an occupied taxi cab early Saturday morning in Downtown Sacramento, next to City Hall.

Early Saturday morning, at the intersection of I St. and 10th St., a drunk driver crashed into an occupied taxi cab.

Two people were transported to the hospital in critical condition, a third was transported with minor injures.

Being struck by the alleged DUI driver, the taxi cab careened across the front lawn of City Hall and came to rest on against a light pole and across the sidewalk next to the steps of City Hall.

After being given a field sobriety test and refusing to take an in field breathalyzer test, the driver was arrested for DUI.

See more Downtown action>>

Table Talk Sacramento brings together local food community

2011-04-15T05:46:50Z

The Sacramento Bee and The Sacramento Press teamed up Wednesday night to host Table Talk Sacramento inside the Sacramento Bee building at 2100 Q St. The two-panel discussion addressed the need for a variety of local food writers and various trends being seen within the food and dining communiy.

The first panel focused on the state of Sacramento food writing. Moderated by Chris Macias, the Bee's food and wine writer since 2008, the discussion featured local blogger Catherine Enfield of Munchie Musings, Niesha Lofing of The Sacramento Bee and Micah Rousey a member of the Yelp Elite Squad for his bulk of restaraunt reviews on Yelp.

“The purpose of this is to get people into a room, get people talking,” Macias said in his opening comments.

He then opened the panel discussion with a question about the purpose of food writing and what types of stories the food panelists find the most valuable.

“What I enjoy most about food writing are the stories that draw you in, that tell a fantastic tale that you can relate to,” Lofing responded.

The panel went on to address the need in the community for food writers, reviewers and bloggers. Macias made the point that everyone has to eat and that focus has to be put on different audiences and demographics.

“I would like to think I'm writing from an average, everyday person’s perspective,” Enfield said about her blog. She added that bloggers should use their blogs to promote local community involvement, like the SactoMoFo Festival on April 30.

SactoMoFo, which stands for Sacramento Mobile Food Festival, is being organized by Enfield and others to promote reasonable city ordinances for food trucks.

The panel closed with a discussion of coming trends. Lofing noted how sustainability, far from being just a trend, is becoming more practical and there are more people eating within a local radius.

“My impression is that Sacramento has always been a farm to table sort of town,” Macias added.

The second panel focused on food and dining trends. It featured Ella Dining Room and Bar Executive Chef Kelly McCown, Preferred Meats, Inc. corporate chef John Paul Khoury, Corti Bros. Market store director Rick Mindermann and was moderated by Allen Pierleoni, a senior writer at the Bee.

Mindermann addressed the issue of trends in the market being cyclical.

Khoury said that the trend is definitely toward more sustainable food and dining but also that the industry continues to change and expand toward more relationship-based production and consumption. By this, he meant creating a connection with the farmer and the animal.

“The change I see is that I bring something into Sacramento now that wouldn't have sold 10 years ago,” he said. One example he gave was humanely grown and sustainable beef.

This change, he said, more specifically is creating a link from farmer to distributor to restaurant. As distributor, he works directly with the farmer and can then pass on the origin of the product to the restaurant. It creates a trust, he said, and that trust helps create a new experience where people might venture out and try different foods.

McCown said he has noticed a large trend in the market with cocktails. He has noticed a swing toward unique, hand-crafted drinks. Just like food, he said, they are created with a full chef-like experience of presentation.

Most of the panel participants largely discussed the complex network it takes for food, and more specifically meats, to get to the restaurant.

But trust, they all agreed, has to be maintained.

There was a wide variety of attendees. Some operated local blogs on food, recipes and dining, while others were just interested in the topic.

Sacramento locals Abby Fox and Heather Kirkpatrick came to the panel together. They came because they read local food blogs and have also attended other food festivals and events.

“The whole scene is just fascinating from a consumer’s point of view,” Kirkpatrick said.

Fox said she lived near an Almond Orchard in Modesto at one point in her life, and this developed an understanding and interest in agriculture.

“More and more, it’s important to me to know where my food is coming from,” she said.

Also in attendance was Kimberly Morales, author of local food blog Poor Girl Eats Well. She said she came because she likes to see what other members of the local food community are talking about.

Morales said she likes to support those who provide insight into what bloggers have to offer the local community.

“I liked the diversity of panelists they chose,” she added.

Morales added that the second panel’s discussion of trust and quality were very similar to her own delivery of recipes and the relationship she hopes to have with her readership.

After all of the talk about food, attendees were treated to a seafood and chorizo paella from Source Global Tapas, which was prepared and cooked on site.

Man on the Street: Where in Sacramento would you never want to take your parents?

2011-04-11T21:37:32Z

We all have parents. But while many may love and appreciate their mothers and fathers, there are just some things not meant to be shared between parents and children.

The Sacramento Press recently posed the question, “Where in Sacramento would you never want to take your parents,” to individuals at Westfield Downtown Plaza. After speaking to some fellow Sacramentans, the most common response was nightlife activities.

Kevin Watson, 29, lives downtown and works as a graphic designer. He said he thought taking his dad to a club could get pretty weird. “I wouldn’t want to take my dad to Faces (Nightclub). That place is pretty crazy, and it would just be really awkward if he got hit on while I was there.”

A number of people felt a club was a good place not to take their parents. A couple of individuals even specified strip clubs. Joe Morales, 21, who works as a gold buyer for Gold Rush at the mall, said, “I would never take my parents to a strip club. That’s just uncomfortable and real awkward!”

Whitney Phillips, 23, head cashier at Forever 21 who lives in Sacramento, also said she wouldn’t want to take her mom to a club, adding “She’s just kinda old and it would be embarrassing.”

Malwina Wnorowska, 23, a third-year student majoring in managerial economics at UC Davis, had a very specific answer.

“I would never want to take my parents to Cal Expo during Halloween. They host the Exotic Erotic Zone Ball. I don’t think my parents would want to see that, and I don’t want to give them a heart attack. But then again, maybe they’d like it...”

Despite a number of responses keeping parents away from potentially risque scenes or just away from their social lives in general, a few people noted they don’t go anywhere they wouldn’t take their parents.

Actress Bridggett Bess, who lives Midtown, said, “My parents are pretty open-minded. I think I could take them anywhere and be OK.”

Tell us where in Sacramento you would never take your parents in the comment section below.

Bakery blog hosts fundraiser for Japan

2011-04-06T02:04:55Z

Sacramento food blog Munchie Musings held an online auction on Friday and Saturday to raise donations for the nonprofit ShelterBox, which will send aid and supplies to tsunami and earthquake- devastated Japan.

The bake sale was organized as an auction by Catherine Enfield, the writer behind Munchie Musings (link) blog. The idea was one she had seen before.

“Last year, I saw similar bake sales for Haiti,” she said, “but I wanted mine to be Sacramento area-oriented.”

Enfield said there were more than 52 items donated to the online auction, such as a dozen cupcakes from Angelina Ray Cupcakes, dinner for 10 from Chipotle and a dim sum brunch for five from Red Lotus Kitchen and Bar.

The auction took place on the Facebook page of Munchie Musings, more specifically in the photo album section. Pictures were taken of each baked item or gift certificate, and then people would post their bids in the comment section until midnight on Saturday, when the auction closed.

According to the Munchie Musings blog, $3,741 was raised, and Enfield said more than $3,600 has come in so far. The auction payments come in through PayPal and then are sent to the nonprofit, Shelter Box.

Shelter Box is an international organization that delivers disaster relief supplies and housing to those affected by disasters worldwide. It provides one large green box to a family, the “Shelterbox,” which is tailored towards each natural disaster but generally features a tent, a stove, blankets and other items a family may need to survive.

Enfield read about Shelter Box on a verified list of charities helping with the effort in Japan. She wanted to give money to a smaller organization that may not be as well known because she said it might need it more than some of the larger groups like the Red Cross.

“With over a million people homeless right now, it is a worthwhile charity to give people shelters to live in,” she said.

Ginger Elizabeth of Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates donated a small hat box of chocolates and also a dozen macarons from her shop.

“It's something horrible that has happened over there, and we wanted to give some support,” she said.

Elizabeth said that she also donated monetarily to charities as well as to other bake sales.

Kristy De Vaney, from the Cakegrrrl blog, donated ginger and lemongrass cupcakes. It is a recipe that can't be found anywhere in Sacramento, she said.

“What happened in Japan is out of my world,” De Vaney said, “Nothing that drastic has happened to me in life. My little cupcakes may seem like only a drop in the water, but when someone like Catherine comes along, we can build a little army to make some change.”

Interviewing Techniques workshop April 7

2011-04-04T21:48:26Z

Thanks to those of you who came to the "Writing about Wine and Spirits" workshop in March. Read the recap here.

We have two journalism workshops planned for April.

Clare Noonan will teach a workshop on interviewing techniques at The Sacramento Press office from 6:30-8 p.m. Thursday, April 7.

Noonan has a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Kentucky. She currently edits 11 East Bay Patch.com sites. She worked at The Modesto Bee for more than 20 years as a reporter for business, news, feature and sports while also copy editing. She also worked as assistant news editor and assistant city editor in charge of the Crime and Safety beat during her time at The Bee. She has been a copy editor for The Sacramento Press.

Noonan has taught other workshops for The Sacramento Press, including "Research and Fact-checking," and "Improve Your Writing with Self Editing."

The workshop will focus on conducting a successful interview, including how to prepare, techniques for putting people at ease and getting them to talk to you, and how to end the interview on a high note.

"Intro to Journalism" is the title of our second workshop in April. Doug Herndon will teach the workshop which will also be held at The Sacramento Press office from 6:30-8 p.m. Tuesday, April 19.

Herndon was an English and journalism professor at Sacramento City College and adviser to the college's newspaper, The Express. He has been a professional writer for more than 15 years and has worked for Sacramento Magazine, The Sacramento News & Review and The Sacramento Bee.

A separate invitation will be sent later for the "Intro to Journalism" workshop.

Badges will be awarded to participants for attending the workshop. To become a verified community contributor, please bring a government-issued ID.

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107, in the Amtrak station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks.

We recommend you find parking on the street, bike or take light rail, as the Amtrak parking lot charges $2 per half hour, and we cannot cover the cost of parking. If you take light rail, we will give you two passes when you get here - one to cover your trip here and one to cover your trip back.

To RSVP for this workshop, email workshops@sacramentopress.com. If you RSVP and decide later not to attend, please send us an email to notify us that you will not be coming so we can have an accurate head count.

Thanks, and we hope to see you there!

Midtown gets new boutique

2011-04-01T06:51:21Z

With the hope of bringing something new to Sacramento fashion, Legacy Boutique at 2418 K St., will be having its grand opening Friday night to showcase its collection of new and vintage clothing.

“I want to have fun with fashion,” said 25-year-old Legacy Boutique owner Debbie Milanova.

But with that fun comes the challenge of providing a new business and a platform for high fashion.

Milanova said there will be a long list of unique clothing lines, many of which are rare and exclusive. Some so exclusive, there may be only one piece in the store.

Creep is one such brand. Originally from Japan, it is designed by Hiroshi Awai which makes it difficult to find in the United States.

Milanova said she hopes to be a catalyst for high fashion coming to Sacramento by bringing clothing lines that are more often found in larger cities like Las Vegas, New York and Los Angeles.

The idea for Legacy Boutique had been in the brainstorming process for as long as she has been working in the boutique industry.

In those seven years, the process began by keeping notes, gathering information, and eventually compiling a rough sketch of a business plan. Most of that time was spent working for Krazy Mary's, another boutique in Midtown.

Then in May of last year, Milanova left Krazy Mary's to develop more education on the business side at Sacramento City College. This is where everything came together.

“It was good timing for me,” she said. “Everything just fell into place.”

“It is going to be a challenge,” she said, “but I love fashion so much, I just want to go places where other stores don't.”

The grand opening will go from 4 - 9 p.m. for anyone to browse through the store and meet Milanova. There will be an after party at The Golden Bear at 2326 K Street beginning at 10 p.m. with DJ Crook One.

Photo essay: Tequila Museo Mayahuel; soft opening Friday

2011-03-30T05:06:49Z

Monday night, a huge Dia de los Muertos caricature welcomed guests to Tequila Museo Mayahuel on 12th and K streets.

Inside, sugar skulls, candles and marigolds transformed the new tequila museum and restaurant into a Dia de Los Muertos party, called “Subterraneo” put on by Jose Cuervo Tradicional tequila.

The party was a sneak preview of the not-yet-open Tequila Museo Mayahuel. Only those in the restaurant and bar industry were invited.

Jose Cuervo Tradicional is touring cities around the country with the Dia de los Muertos party and selected Sacramento to host Monday’s event.

According to Gina Castillo, tequila ambassador for Jose Cuervo and Don Julio Northern California, Tequila Museo Mayahuel was chosen because Sacramento is an important tequila market and it’s a brand new restaurant that has a tequila museum in it.

This is the first time Jose Cuervo Tradicional has hosted an event in Sacramento.

“(Mayahuel is) a place that’s going to stick to Mexican culture and since Dia de los Muertos is such a Mexican holiday, we wanted to make sure that we had it in a place that made sense,” Castillo said.

Some of Sacramento’s restaurateurs came to check out the new K Street restaurant and bar, including Ali Mackani, owner of Lounge on 20; Billy Ngo, owner of Kru and Red Lotus Kitchen & Bar; and Andrea Martin, who owns Bulls.

TJ Bruce, who owns Badlands and Hot Rods, was also there and said he was enjoying the party.

“It is very rustic. The food is wonderful,” he said. “It’s very clubby. I think a restaurant would do well (having) a club” atmosphere while it was serving food.

“I have a feeling it’s going to be a lot more low-key” normally, he added.

Small bites, or bocadillos, were served from the menu, including

Bruchetas de Rajas con Crema (french bread slices topped with strips of poblano chiles marinated in sour cream);
Dobladitas de Camaron y Queso Manchego (tortillas stuffed with shrimp and ricotta cheese sautéed with onions);
Molletitos de Chorizo y Queso Monterrey (baguette with black refried beans and chorizo and crumbled cheese);
Brochetas de Pollo y Nopal al Guajillo (chicken with cactus, Guajillo chile and mushrooms);
Tostaditas de Chile Ancho y Nopales (tostadas with Ancho chiles, guacamole and cactus);
Tostaditas de Tinga de Pollo (shredded chicken breast cooked in chipotle sauce, served on a tostada);
Panuchos de Cochinita Pibil (pulled pork that’s been cooked in Ancho chiles and citrus sauce on a soft tortilla with refried black beans).

For dessert, they served Mosaico de Flan de Chile Ancho (flan with pasillo peppers) and a mango mousse cake.

Nate Radabaugh, David Tyler and George Boeger came all the way from Chico to see Tequila Museo Mayahuel.

Radabaugh and Tyler said they do security for Chico’s Normal Street Bar, which Boeger owns.

“This is my first time in Sacramento,” Radabaugh said. “It’s a great city – a walking city – I didn’t know what to expect. I like the celebration.”

On display behind the bar were hand-painted Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia tequila boxes.

“Each box is different – different artist, different art,” Mayahuel owner Ernesto Delgado said. “They hired a Mexican artist to paint their box, and each year, they select a new artist to paint the box, and now it’s a series.”

The tequila boxes are the current display for the “museo” (museum) part of the restaurant. The history and culture of tequila will continue to be reflected in the rotating exhibits planned for Mayahuel.

“The idea is that the whole place is going to function and work like a museum,” Delgado said. “(The) one (behind the bar) is obviously the main exhibit, but throughout the entire restaurant we’ll have different exhibits on different walls that will coordinate with events, programs, venues (and) tastings.”

The exhibits will rotate every three months or so, he said.

Bartenders stayed busy serving specialty drinks, which included Trad Fresco, made of Tradicional Silver, simple syrup, grapefruit juice, muddled cucumber and mint leaves; Paloma Mayahuel, which mixed Tradicional Silver, grapefruit juice, agave syrup, lime juice, seltzer water and a pinch of salt; El Beso Ardiente, made of Tradicional Silver, agave syrup, lime juice, Serrano pepper and muddled pepper wheels; and others.

El Beso Ardiente means "the fiery kiss," according to Castillo.

Nicole Novoa, an analyst for the California Department of Consumer Affairs, said she came Monday because she is friends with the restaurant’s manager, Javier Valdez.

When asked what she thought of Mayahuel, she said, “It’s different from what I’ve seen. It doesn’t compare.... It’s culturally diverse. It has a really good ambiance.”

More than 200 people took part in the celebration throughout the night, according to Delgado.

DJ Alex Trujillo and DJ Will Rodriguez played music all night, getting the Day of the Dead caricatures on the dance floor along with many painted faces in the crowd.

Delgado said Tuesday that he was very pleased with the event.

“I personally loved it. It was a great reflection of what I’m trying to showcase – the culture.... Dia de los Muertos is a day of appreciating the past with the present – the people that have been here – their life and history. In Mexico, we celebrate our past by celebrating the deaths of people that were close to us,” he said.

The grand opening of Tequila Museo Mayahuel is scheduled for the weekend of Cinco de Mayo. However, the restaurant and bar will be open well before that, with a soft opening at 3 p.m. Friday. Delgado said they will serve small plates and a limited cocktail menu.

Tequila Museo Mayahuel is located at 1200 K St. For more information, read Suzanne Hurt’s recent article here or Brandon Darnell’s original article here.

Photos by Chris Brune and Colleen Belcher.

Chuggernauts win Xoso's Dodgeball Championship!

2011-03-29T00:13:26Z

Sacramento, CA - Last Thursday was the Xoso Sport & Social League's largest playoff race yet, with two leagues (A/B) and 12 teams total gunning for the title. The matches didn't disappoint!

In the dodgeball "B" League, the 4th seeded Chuggernauts faced 5th seed "Ball Thugs & Harmony" in the first round. Not expecting to go deep into the playoffs, it seems even they were surprised to pull out the win, 5-4. The other first round game was between the 3rd seeded Caltronics team and the 6th seeded "Try Catching Our Balls". Again, this game was a nail biter, and Caltronics won, 5-4.

In the 2nd round of games, Chuggernauts faced an even bigger test, the #1 seed, "Ball & Oates", who rolled through the regular season to a 7-1 record. In the playoffs, they were no match for the mighty Chuggernauts! Chuggernauts won, 6-2. Caltronics ran up against the #2 seed, "Off in the Shower", and unfortunately for them, they did not beat "Off in the Shower". They lost 8-2.

The "B" League championship was set, with the Chuggernauts taking on "Off in the Shower". Could Chuggernaut Tracy Fox win her first championship on her birthday? Would they be able to overcome their seed, and shake the ache out of their arms? Yes! They beat "Off in the Shower" 7-2 to win their first ever dodgeball title!

[img_assist|nid=7935|title=D3, "A" League Dodgeball Champs: Winter 2011|desc=|link=none|align=right|width=300|height=225]In the "A" dodgeball league, there were another six teams vying for a championship. "Team America", the #4 seed and perennial title contender, had to face "Hit Harder, Drink Harder" in the first round, and came away with the win, 6-3. The #3 seed, Hammer Time, matched up with the #6 team, "Shocker and Awe" who played most of the match shorthanded. "Shocker and Awe" put up a great fight, and it came down to the wire, with "Hammer Time" pulling it out for an 8-6 win.

The 2nd round proved to be an epic battle between "Team America" and "Team AP". These two teams are actually led by captains who live together. Can you imagine the bragging rights on the line? The #1 seeded "Team AP", also defending champions, had steamrolled through the regular season to an undefeated record and you'd be hard pressed to find someone who wouldn't have picked their team to win it all again. This time, they didn't even make the title match; they lost to "Team America in a close one, 4-3.

"D3:The Mighty Drunks" also faced a tough matchup against long time dodgeballers, "Hammer Time". In the end, they prevailed 3-2 to face off with "Team America".

In the final match, each game went back and forth. The 2nd game of the match featured an Ollie Shot from both teams, changing the tide and bringing in teammates who had been knocked out. The match was tied 2-2 as they headed into the final game. D3 appeared to be in control, and had 7 players on the court against the final player for Team America. Team America couldn't get an Ollie Shot to fall, and D3 wound up winning the game for a 3-2 win, securing the "A" League dodgeball championship.

SMAC holds arts funding symposium

2011-03-24T00:30:13Z

Representatives from over 80 arts organizations received tips on obtaining funding at an arts funding symposium hosted by the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission (SMAC) Tuesday moning at the KVIE banquet room with a speech by Congresswoman Doris Matsui.

The free event titled “Where's the Money?” was a day full of speakers, panels and workshops with teachers, artists, grant writers and various other active participants for the arts in Sacramento in attendance.

KVIE General Manager David Lowe opened the event by talking about the Public Broadcasting Station to note that KVIE also largely relies on funding from public grants, private grants, and donations like the attendees in the room.

“Keep fighting for every bit of funding,” he said, “not only so you can survive, but also so you can thrive.”

Matsui, who represents California's District 5, addressed the crowd in her speech, applauding them when she said, “ your commitment to the arts is wonderful and timely.”

Matsui said she came to support SMAC because she wants this type information available. She went on to defend the arts, saying they are needed for cultural development.

“Arts are important for the vitality of a community,” she said. “Arts are the DNA of a community.”

Matsui also addressed Sacramento more specifically when she noted that the Sacramento arts community is unique because there are so many organizations that work together, whether they are ballets, symphonies or otherwise.

The opening workshop was given by Mike Griffin, the congressional liaison for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

“National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to advancing artistic excellence, creativity and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities,” he said.

NEA, Griffin said, distributes about 40 percent of its federal funds among partnerships like SMAC and other nonprofits working to promote the arts in the community. He was there to discuss the options for funding arts programs at the federal, state and local levels, and how to apply.

Along with the NEA, Kay Sprinkel Grace, author of “The Boundaries of Risk: Daring to Dream in the Arts,” spoke on how to find funding, and later there was a private local funders panel facilitated by Sprinkel Grace.

“Everyone is here for one reason – they are looking for money,” Said SMAC Executive Director Rhyena Halpern. “There's a real hunger for it.”

SMAC hoped the symposium would provide an opportunity and concrete resources for private and public funding, she said.

One attendee, Nixa Schell, came on behalf of the Sacramento City Unified School District, where she is director of the fine arts programs. She came because of the decline in arts-based programs in schools and simply because “there is no money.”

“Everything has to be funded through grants right now,” she said.

Despite the lack of funds, there are programs being developed to integrate art and music into the classroom. One program titled “Any Given Child” has teachers work with artists and musicians in the community to develop lesson plans to infuse art and education.

Through this whole process of developing programs and finding funding, Schell said she hopes it will encourage students and teachers to be less intimidated by the arts and to be able to use them.

The program closed with its last run at the exchange of information with speed dating for arts funding. Artists and art organizations met face-to-face with funders and nonprofits like SMAC and For Art’s Sake.

“The purpose is to inspire,” Halpern said. “It's a really hard time right now.”

The Bee, Sac Press present 'Table Talk Sacramento' April 13

2011-03-23T19:01:04Z

Do you love talking about food? Do you flip to the food section of the newspaper before even reading the front page? Is a trip to the grocery store an excursion? For all you foodies, bloggers and lovers of Sacramento’s restaurants and food: The Sacramento Bee and The Sacramento Press have teamed up to bring you “Table Talk Sacramento: The region’s food community comes together for an evening of lively discussion.”

There will be two panels addressing different topics, including “What Sacramentans Eat” and the quality of local food writing.

Chris Macias will moderate the food writing panel. Macias has served as the Bee’s food and wine writer since 2008. The panelists include:

Niesha Lofing, who writes food and family stories for the Bee as well as a parenting column, Mom.me.
Catherine Enfield, a state worker by day and a local food blogger by night – or whenever she can sneak away to a computer. She is also a food truck advocate and co-organizer of the SactoMoFo mobile food festival scheduled for April 30.
Micah Rousey, who eats out at least five times per week and shares his experience on Yelp. He has contributed dozens of restaurant reviews and been named a member of the “Yelp Elite Squad.”

Allen Pierleoni will moderate the second panel, “What Sacramentans Eat,” which will cover local food trends. This panel consists of:

Rick Mindermann, an internationally known grocer and wine merchant and store director of Corti Bros. Market. He has 34 years in the food and wine business and acts as a personal assistant to Darrell Corti, who has been called “the man who knows the most about food and wine in the world.”
John Paul Khoury, the corporate chef for Preferred Meats, Inc., a premium meat company in the San Francisco Bay Area, with a focus on sustainable husbandry and smaller farm operations. He is also certified as a chef de cuisine with the American Culinary Federation.
Kelly McCown, the executive chef at Ella restaurant and a 1990 graduate of the California Culinary Academy. He was worked in the kitchens of Martini House, Flying Fish, Fleur de Lys, Hayes Street Grill and others, and he has been named “a rising star” and “top young chef” by several magazines, including Bon Appetit and Japanese GQ.

“Table Talk” will be at The Sacramento Bee, 2100 Q St., at 6 p.m. April 13. Source Global Tapas will provide light snacks.

The event will be live-tweeted by @sacramentopress using the hashtag #SacTableTalk.

The event is free, but registration is required. If you do not register, you will not be allowed to enter. Registration is limited to 160. To sign up for “Table Talk,” click here.

Come join the conversation as we discuss Sacramento’s rich food and restaurant culture.

Downed tree injures one and damages vehicles

2011-03-21T02:53:02Z

Sacramento, CA | Club goers leaving a local club escape fallen tree incident with minor injures and damaged vehicles.

Late Saturday night, as Azukar Lounge at 16th Street and J Street was winding down and club goers filled the parking lot heading to their cars, a large tree collapsed landing on one occupied, damaging others and pinned a female to the ground. Several bistanders worked together to get the tree off the girl as resue crews responded. The victim was transported to the hospital via paramedics with minor injures.

Occupants of the vehicle struck by the tree were unharmed and able to exit the vehicle without further incident.

For more weather impact photos and stories, CLICK HERE>>>

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View of the Rivers from a Kayak

2011-03-21T01:57:56Z

Early Saturday morning saw a break in the weather, so I headed for the swollen rivers with my 14-foot sit-in polyethylene kayak. Embarking at Sutter's Landing, I headed downstream to see what all the rain and water releases from the Folsom dam had done to the lower American and Sacramento rivers. The float took only ninety minutes with no hard paddling -- the current is strong and the waters turbid and brown. It was a solitary journey shared with only a few scattered fowl and plenty of flotsam washed loose from upstream shores. For those heartier souls it is a worthy adventure.Wool socks recommended.

They're Playing Our Song

2011-03-18T21:19:53Z

Currently in its second weekend (of four), New Helvetia Theatre’s production of “They’re Playing Our Song” is another winner from the young company. Founded two years ago, NHT has received high praise for productions that have included “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” “tick…tick…BOOM!” and “[title of show].”

“They’re Playing Our Song” should appeal to fans of both musicals and plays, as a musical that probably has more distinctive dialog than production numbers. It’s not that the songs are weak, it’s just that the rest of the material comes from the pen of Neil Simon, and so it has that tone that makes it somewhat like watching a Woody Allen movie with musical interludes.

The songs themselves are particularly interesting in the context of the show, in that they are co-written by Carole Bayer Sager (lyrics) and Marvin Hamlisch (music) who are also the inspiration for the story which is based on their 1970’s romance. In it, Vernon and Sonia are a composer and lyricist respectively, who meet to collaborate as songwriters. However, they are both somewhat sensitive and perhaps a little high maintenance, while also being both critical and defensive. Continuing the Woody Allen comparison, it’s like a working relationship and budding romance in which Woody Allen meets his gender-opposite counterpart. In other words, it’s funny.

“They’re Playing Our Song” unites two NHT “veterans” Nanci Zoppi and Jerry Lee as the leads, each of whom are well suited to the roles. And the character’s similar temperaments are also reflected in their respective three-member greek choruses that act like combination muses and personal backup singers (and who very efficiently become the stage crew between scenes). The set is simple but effective, with crowded shelving units creating a sense of divided spaces and also semi-shielding the full band that accompanies the show, and two of the hardest working folding chairs in theater.

Direction is by NHT Founder and Artistic Director Connor Mickiewicz, musical direction by local cabaret mogul Graham Sobelman, choreography by Kiera Anderson, stage management by Caitlin Sapunor-Davis, and collateral material design (poster, tickets) by Paul Le. Additional cast members, familiar to local cabaret and theater fans, are Rosemary Babich, Joseph Boyette, Rebecca Mason, T. Patrick Van, Hilary Wells, and Mike Yee.

“They’re Playing Our Song” continues with shows Thursdays-Saturdays through April 2nd – with an 8pm show each day and an additional 2pm show each Saturday (with the exception of theSaturday, March 19th matinee which starts at 1pm). All shows are at the neat Artisan Building at 1901 Del Paso Blvd, and tickets are available through brownpapertickets.com.

More information at www.newhelvetia.org

Tickets at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/153042

Note: The show photographs were taken, with permission, during the dress rehearsal - some set and/or costume details may have changed.

Schnirer holds neighborhood conversation

2011-03-18T01:00:56Z

Residents of District 5 phoned in for the monthly “Neighborhood Conversations” conference call Wednesday night to discuss their issues, concerns, and questions with City Councilman Jay Schenirer.

One of the first discussions of the call centered around the crime and vandalism issues Oak Park faces. One resident from the area was the main speaker for this topic, he asked whether it was getting worse or improving and what the neighbors could do about it.

Schenirer commented that crime has gone down throughout the city and that it was mainly gang rivalries between Oak Park gangs and those in the surrounding areas.

In relation to gangs, he said the city is using strategies to rehabilitate gang members, by “putting them in full-time jobs and other social programs.”

Schenirer also said the city is working on developing different intervention strategies, such as a pilot program called “hot spot policing.”

“The program consists of GPSing where many crimes are being committed,” he said. Patrol cars then station themselves near those hot spot regions, to help act as both a deterrence and offer a quicker reaction to the scene of the crime.

Another caller, Kitty Wilson, mainly addressed traffic concerns she experienced near 26th and 27th street where it intersects with Broadway.

“The whole of 26th needs to be looked at ,” Wilson said. Mainly, she noted, there are problems during the times of 4:30 to 7 p.m. when many travelers are leaving work, getting on and off the freeway at the interchange. She said she thought there needed to be more signals in that area.

Schenirer said, “We can ask the traffic division to go and check it out.”

Healthy eating and healthy development of Oak Park were also brought up on the call.

Chris Johnson, a member of the group Healthy Development of Oak Park, said a McDonald's is being planned to be constructed at the corner of Stockton Blvd. and 2nd Ave.

Johnson said his group is reluctant to support the idea of a fast food restaurant in their neighborhood.

Schenirer explained how the process will work and how the proposal must goes through a planning committee. He told the listeners he couldn't comment directly on the McDonald's issue but that he was “very supportive of healthy eating habits.”

“I would love to to see better and more community development and neighborhood supportive businesses,” he said.

Some other concerns had to do with water usage and city bureaucracy. At the end, most listeners said they liked Schenirer hosting community conversations. They said it seemed like a civil, honest and open way to communicate directly with the district’s residents.

“It's a little easier than knocking on doors,” Schenirer added.

“Neighborhood Conversations” occur every third Wednesday of the month, lasting from 7 - 7:30 p.m.

For those interested in a face-to-face conversation, City Councilman Jay Schenirer will be having community office hours on Wednesday March 30 at the Big Spoon which is located at 4001 Freeport Blvd. from 5 - 7 p.m.

St. Patrick's Day fundraiser inspires Sacramento to go bald

2011-03-16T04:48:13Z

Hair clippings were scattered along the sidewalk in front of de Vere’s Irish Pub Monday, which hosted the St. Baldrick’s fundraiser benefiting childhood cancer research organizations Keaton Raphael Memorial and St. Baldrick’s.

An estimated more than 200 participants showed up to shave their heads, and it wasn’t just men going under the clippers. Women and children were also a part of the mix.

St. Baldrick's is an international foundation dedicated to raising funds to find cures for childhood cancers. Located in Monrovia, Calif., it stands as a larger umbrella organization that partners with smaller groups. Keaton Raphael Memorial is one of these groups.

Keaton Raphael Memorial is a nonprofit organization from Roseville that was started by Robyn Raphael in memory of her son, who died after a nine-month battle with Neuroblastoma, a cancer that affects the nervous system.

Julie Fry, events coordinator for the Keaton Raphael Memorial, said they wanted an event focused around St. Patrick's Day in March. Before last year, she said, the event had always been held at the UC Davis Cancer Center in Sacramento.

“We are an organization that helps families with financial, educational and emotional support,” she said.

The entire event began inside de Vere's and spilled over L Street, which was blocked off for hair-shaving stations. The hair-clipping stations were donated by one of the sponsor's, Jodi McCray who owns 20 Supercuts franchises in the greater Sacramento area.

“When there were offers for us to participate,” McCray said, “it was huge because we are local, and it is an honor to be part of St. Baldricks.”

“This is the first one,” McCray said, “but now that we've started, we'll be carrying on with more fundraisers throughout the year.”

Those who had their hair clipped, called shavees, did so as an act of solidarity with the those suffering from childhood cancer.

Beforehand, 185 people had registered on the de Vere's website and had donated $73,812. The grand total count of shavees and funds raised won't be available until later in the week.

Justin Laffoday, who was in line to get his head shaved, said he came out because he is good friends with the de Vere White family, which owns the pub.

“It's a good cause, and it’s a good time,” he added.

Co-owner and manager of de Vere's Irish Pub, Henry de Vere White, said his father, Ralph, originally held the event at the UC Davis Cancer Center for which he serves as director.

“I asked if I could steal it from him,” Henry de Vere White said, “and he said that it was fine, anything that brings in research money.”

Last year, they raised more than $90,000, de Vere White said, adding that his hopes were to beat that this year.

“So far, its going good,” he said partway through the evening, “It can only grow from here.”

Donations were organized through different outlets, like the memorial website and the de Vere's Irish Pub, but also from the beer truck parked outside, where all the proceeds from outdoor purchases went straight into the pool of donations raised.

“Cancer affects everyone in their life,” McCray said. “But here, still it’s very festive, it's a big celebration.”

Kicks and Giggles win the Xoso Sport & Social League Winter Indoor Kickball league!

2011-03-14T23:43:22Z

After finishing the regular season at 7-1, "Kicks and Giggles" were one of the favorites to win it all this season in Xoso's Winter Indoor Kickball league. They figured to have to match up against "Just the Tip", the other 7-1 team whom they had beaten by only three runs during the regular season. They didn't get the chance for an epic showdown.

In the first round, they faced off against the #4 seeded "I'd Hit That". The first inning was the double damage inning, where every run counts for 2. IHT scored once in the top of the inning, and then quickly got two outs in the bottom half. Needing one more out to hold KnG scoreless in the important double damage inning, they watched KnG rally for 7 runs, to take a 14-2 lead. That proved to be the difference for most of the game. IHt got as close as 17-10 before falling to KnG 22-12.

In the second semi-final game, "Just the Tip" squared off with "thebomb.com". In the regular season, "Just the Tip" won both matchups, by 6 runs in the first game, and by 9 runs in the second. This time, "thebomb.com" had their number. It was 5-2 in favor of thebomb.com after three innings, but then they opened it up in the double damage inning, taking a 17-7 lead and going on to win 20-6.

The championship matchup gave KnG a chance to redeem themselves for their only regular season loss, against thebomb.com. This game proved to be a defensive battle for the two high scoring teams. After scoring three runs in the first inning, KnG lead 3-0. Then both teams added two runs in the 2nd inning. After the 3rd inning it was 8-3, and it was still 8-3 heading into the final inning before KnG added four more runs. Final score: 12-3 in favor of Kicks and Giggles.

Congratulations to Kicks and Giggles on their championship season!

Joan Rivers at the Crest Theatre - Slideshow

2011-03-14T08:13:30Z

SacQuotes: Safe at Second Saturday?

2011-03-10T16:33:41Z

For this week's edition of SacQuotes, we asked attendees of last month’s Second Saturday Art Walk if they feel safe and comfortable at the event. You may remember that last year police had to disperse some of the large groups who would linger after the official end of the evening. In September a Sacramento City College student was killed in the crossfire of a gang-related shooting after Second Saturday. Here’s what folks had to say:

Chico State student Meghan Vanderford was home visiting and decided to come out to Second Saturday. She said her comfort level changes throughout the night. “Earlier in the evening I feel safer, but the later it gets, it gets a little sketch.” Vanderford said she only stays until 8 or 9 o’clock. “I noticed that there’s a lot of young kids just getting drunk and coming to this to have fun.”

Joseph Kutchukov said he feels safe at Second Saturday. “I’m a server at Chicago Fire. We haven’t had any problems, besides some homeless people, but nothing major.”

Sacramento State theater major Melissa Warren feels more comfortable when she attends Second Saturday with a group. “I don’t know that I feel too comfortable by myself. I find some of the people slightly intimidating.” Another factor on Warren’s mind was visibility. “I think the brighter the day is the more safe that I’ll feel. The darker it is, all the connotations of evil and mysterious things come with that. It’s darker and you can't see if someone was going to attack you.”

The members of the South Sacramento hip-hop group "Project" said they come out to Second Saturday to “meet people, give out our music, share ideas and share our styles.” When discussing the evening’s atmosphere and police presence, the guys didn’t seem phased in the least. “Cops, I’ve seen them. I haven’t talked to them, haven’t been hassled,” one member said.

Yolo County firefighter Nathan Taylor attends Second Saturday regularly. He said he feels totally comfortable staying until the end of the night. “It’s usually pretty quiet around here on the main drag. Off the beaten path is where the issues tend to be at. Out here where there’s a lot of people, it’s usually real quiet. This is like the fifth or sixth one I’ve been to, and I feel safe.”

Thanks for all the great feedback in the last few editions of SacQuotes. If you would like to see you questions answered on a future edition, please email them to SacramentoIsaac@gmail.com.

Women of Color awards

2011-03-08T06:53:19Z

Women of color, and a few good men, were recognized durning the 26th annual Sacramento Community Women of Color Day/Diversity Event.

"This event honors outstanding women of color for achievements/contributions, and women, men, businesses, and organizations of all cultures supporting/promoting diversity." Suzanne Brooks, CEO explained.

Brooks said that in the 26 years since March 1st was established as Women of Color Day, more than 250 have been honored in Sacramento.

Commemorations have also been held in other California cities, 22 additional states and 5 other countries.

Here are the honorees:

Joan Cartwright Originally from New York City, Joan Cartwright has a B.A (Communications and Music) and M.A. (Communications). Joan studied piano, composition and theory with pianist Gerald Price, and harp with Caliope Proios.

She also studied ballet and modern dance with Bernice Johnson and Lavern Porter, African dance with Dinizulu. She's performed on television, radio and on stage, including at the Blue Note (NYC), The "A" Train and Erny’s (Delray Beach), O’Hara’s, Promenade and Riverwalk Sunday Jazz Brunch (Fort Lauderdale) and Ellington's (Sanibel Island.

She has given lectures to over 5,000 children/college students in U.S., Switzerland, Sicily, China and Japan on women in jazz and being a singer. Her workshops highlight pitfalls and benefits of the music business.

Courtney Dempsey

Courtney Dempsey is an anchor/reporter. She joined the CW31 staff in August of 1995 and has been working with Good Day Sacramento. She started her career working part-time while attending Sacramento State University and joined the team full-time upon graduation. She has worked a gamut of jobs during her tenure, but what she enjoys the most is doing feature segments.

Outside of television, Courtney has worked in many other realms of entertainment. She hosted the midday show and anchored morning news and traffic as “CoCo” on KBMB 103.5 FM. She has done commercials and voice work for both television and radio. Her passion for dancing, since the age of four, has led to a leisure career with professional dance ensemble “Company 19.” She enjoys community service, culture and education. She is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Jack & Jill of America, Sacramento Black Journalists Association and Black Alumni of Sacramento State University.

Sarah EnloeSarah Enloe joined the California Diabetes Program in September 2002. As the lead administrative support staff, she oversees record keeping and reporting systems for program activities, contractor requirements, and program budgets.

Sarah provides technical consultation and assistance to contractors in the areas of state and federal requirements, budget and accounting procedures, and contract management services. She also serves as technical advisor to staff on administrative policies, contracting, budgeting, and fiscal projections. She provides day-to-day administrative support for the Program and also assists in the hiring process.

Prior to joining the California Diabetes Program, Sarah worked as with the Department of Defense for 16 years and later transferred to the Department of Justice (DOJ) – Immigration and Natural Service (INS) as an Analyst. She remained with DOJ - INS until 1999 when she relocated back to Sacramento to be closer to her family.

Dr. Linda S. Goodrich

Dr. Linda S. Goodrich, Chair,Theatre and Dance Dept., Sacramento State University, began dance training in ballet, modern, Afro-Haitian and jazz dance.

Born in Columbus, OH, she danced with Dancentral Modern Dance Company; then directed several companies, including Dunbar Dance Company in Ohio before moving to New York to continue studies. She earned her M.A. (1972), Ph.D. (1976) at The Ohio State University in English, and her M.F.A. in Choreography and Performance (1982) at Mills College.

Moving to the San Francisco Bay Area in the 70’s, she performed in Stompin’ at the Savoy and played the lead in Carmen Jones. She has directed and choreographed such shows as Dancing at Lugnasa, The Colored Museum, Jar the Floor, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbo Was Enuf, and The Old Settler and performed with Sacramento Theatre Company, and others. For 18 years, she has been Artistic Director to Sacramento/Black Art of Dance (S/BAD) following black concert dance traditions and Katherine Dunham, and is a founding member, Ebo Okokan, Afro Cuban ensemble.

Kamala HarrisKamala Harris, in December, 2003, was elected as the first woman District Attorney in San Francisco’s history, and the first African American woman and South East Asian woman in California to hold the office. She has spent 20 years in courtrooms as a prosecutor fighting violent crime, hate crimes, financial crimes—especially against elders and discrimination. She opposes the death penalty.

She is the recipient of numerous awards from professional and community organizations, including the National Black Prosecutors Association. She is the 32nd and current Attorney General of California following the 2010 California state elections. She has worked as an author. She is the first female, African-American, and Asian-American attorney general in California and the first Indian-American attorney general in the United States.

INDIGIEFEMMETash Terry born and raised on the Navajo Nation and Elena Higgins born in Aotearoa (New Zealand) of Maori and Samoan heritage are the powerful musical duo Indigie Femme
.
These international performers have united to unleash their creative intelligence that taps into their ancestry. Indigie Femme weave innovative and traditional songs and finds parallels throughout their experiences. Their musical ensemble includes: 6 &12 string guitars, mandolin, cajun, djembes, medicine drum and percussions. May 2010 saw the launch of Indigie Femme’s new CD, “Indian Souvenir.” The album draws upon life’s experiences capable of touching and relating to all lives. It is dedicated to two significant people who have touched and enhanced their lives—Elena’s mum, Julie Higgins, and Tom Riggs, Tash's Deaf mentor. Both passed away from cancer.

40,000 miles has been clocked up this year in the air and on road as Indigie Femme promote “Indian Souvenir” in North America and Australia. Various cultures coming together and seeing through the eyes of other perspectives, and letting go of separation and discrimination is a huge part of Indigie Femme’s vision. Indigie Femme are based in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

The Purple Moon Dance Project

The PURPLE MOON DANCE PROJECT was founded by Jill Togawa in 1992 to realize a creative vision:

Integrating non-western and western dance forms and aesthetics
Multidisciplinary collaboration
Exploring the continuum of intimacy between women.

The mission of Purple Moon Dance Project is to increase the visibility of lesbians and women of color and to encourage social change, peace and healing in our society through the medium of dance. Purple Moon's work is "diversity made physical!"

Purple Moon produces an annual ‘home season’ of work in San Francisco, and tours nationally and internationally. Their work has been presented at the NGO Forum on Women in Beijing, China, the Gay Games Cultural Festival in New York, at Highways, in Santa Monica, California, and other venues in Oregon, New Mexico, Hawai'i, and California.

Purple Moon’s artists offer workshops for women and girls without formal dance training, and for community organizations who work with lesbians and women of color. Through its performance and educational activities, Purple Moon's vision is to contribute to social change, peace and healing in our society.

Pleshette Robertson

Pleshette Robertson, founded Sacculturalhub.com in 2001 with the goal of providing Black Urban Entertainment News in Sacramento and beyond. It’s mission is to be the central information hub of interesting and exciting things to do, places to go, and people to meet has evolved into The Hub: The Urban Entertainment & Lifestyle magazine.
The Hub serves the purpose of providing tangible literature and valuable resource information of value forAfrican Americans. It serves as a very comprehensive resource and exciting up-to-date entertainment guide for the residents, tourists, Capitol City based African American businesses with information about special events, family living information, news, education and more.

The Hub website has also drawn a broad spectrum of affluent users and readers of the multicultural population growing rapidly in Sacramento who are attracted to the urban lifestyle. Features of the site include a highly circulated e-newsletter, multiple tiers of tiers of advertising, a business directory, VIP members, event calendars, current newsfeeds, classifieds, and forums. Newsletters and a newspaper keep many in the community informed, including newcomers and new businesses

Angela Rosas

Angela Rosas is a Public Relations and Social Media Specialist at WholesaleInsurance.net and provides social media, PR, and SEO support to various other Sacramento area businesses.

She has been volunteering for WEAVE Inc. since 2007 as a certified Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault peer counselor, a Speakers Bureau representative, provides regular assistance at fundraising events, and is currently serving on the planning committee, providing PR/media support, for Sacramento's first “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes."

In 2009, Angela created Chicas Latinas de Sacramento in an effort to increase Latina volunteerism and cultural awareness, and manages member and community recruitment, marketing, finances, and event/calendar planning. Chicas Latinas de Sacramento provides on-going volunteer and community support to organizations such as Weave Inc., Sacramento Area Emergency Housing Center, and regularly grants wishes for members of the community and their families. The organization continues to grow in both members and community involvement, due to its positive impact in the community.

The Sacramento native received her BA in journalism from California State University of Sacramento.

Larry Dalton

Larry Dalton is a well-known Sacramento photographer whose work has appeared in many area publications, including the Sacramento Observer and Sacramento News and Review. Larry makes it a point to get out to community events all over the area and to take photographs which are honest and complementary to his subjects. He is a graduate of California State University, Sacramento where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism.

Alyson Huber

Alyson Huber Assemblymember Alyson Huber was elected in November 2008 to represent the 10th District, comprised of Amador County, and portions of Sacramento, El Dorado and San Joaquin Counties. It includes the cities of Lodi, Elk Grove, Rancho Cordova, Stockton, and Jackson.

In her role as Assemblymember, Alyson is focused on reforming the way the state does business and holding government accountable to the taxpayers so that our children can have a quality education, people can get back to work and the economy can get moving.

As a former business lawyer, she understands the many pressures facing businesses in California, and as a working mother she understands the pressures that families face every day.. Alyson is living proof that the American dream is alive and well. Overcoming family hardships as a child, she worked hard to put herself through school and was the first of her family to graduate from college. Alyson first attended CSU Chico, then transferred to Cornell University where she received her Bachelor of Science with honors. She came back to California and received her law degree from the University of California's Hastings College of the Law.

Chris LeeChris Lee is currently employed as Staff Counsel at State of California, Dept of Managed Health Care. He has worked for a local attorney and as a programmer in information services. A graduate of University of the Pacific—McGeorge School of Law, Harvey Mudd College and Scripps College, he has an ongoing intellectual curiosity inspiring lifelong learning. He runs the half marathon and speaks with love, pride and appreciation of his parents and especially his grandmother.

A brilliant, classically trained pianist, who began playing at three and has performed with many bands and exciting venues including Monterey, the Sacramento Jazz Festival and the Mondavi Center, Chris has worked in jobs outside music and attended law school while performing longer than any other musician with The Jazz Generation.

He is humble about his many talents. He adds to any group’s with his collaborative spirit and his musical ability. His community contributions are less well known. He has donated his time to raise funds for New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and as a duo with the vocalist at a fundraiser for a person with cancer that he doesn’t know. His community service is made quietly but caringly when needed.

He is great role model for today’s youth, a fine example of the working musicians who are the backbone of the field of music, and a true artist.

Tina Veeolet

Tina Veeolet is the owner of Aloha Florist in Sacramento. Not simply the owner of a florist business, Tina is a designer of original arrangements specializing in tropical flowers, including Hawaiian and other leis. She is also a supporter of community organizations through her many donations of flowers for events.

She is one of those kind and generous members of society who does not give in order to receive praises. Tina has been a supporter of Women of Color Day for more than a decade, not only contributing flowers, but often attending Women of Color Day Events to staff a table and create leis for honorees and others.

A California Legislature Assemby Certificate of Recognition award was presented to Suzanne Brooks in Honor of the 26th Anniversary of the founding of March 1st as Women of Color Day.

The program also included "Aurora,"new musical show featuring African dance, Candombe percussion, music by Suzanne Brooks/The Jazz Generation Band; and recognition of the United Nations declaration of 2011 as the Year of African Descendants.

The UN has declared 2011 as the year of African Descendants.

Ettore's Bakery hosts third annual "Ettore's coffee break"

2011-02-24T06:45:10Z

The aroma of freshly made pastries filled the second floor of the Elks Tower Wednesday morning as locals gathered to enjoy a coffee break and watch a pizza-making contest.

More than 150 people turned out for the third annual Ettore’s Coffee Break, which is put on by Ettore’s Bakery and Restaurant, and benefits the Youth Development Network.

Before the pizza-making competition, Ettore Ravazzolo, owner of Ettore’s, gave his own pizza-making demonstration.

The celebrity pizza-making contest was divided into two teams, one male and one female. All four contestants in each group were called onto the stage to see who could make a pizza the fastest by kneading the dough, spreading the sauce, topping with cheese and pepperoni.

The female contestants were City Councilwoman Angelique Ashby, need title Michelle Odell, need title Alisa Okelo-Odongo and this year’s winner, Lucy Eidam Crocker, who owns and operates the Midtown public relations firm LucyCo Communications.

The male contestants were title Philip Arndt, title Garry Maisel, title Rick Nelson and winner of the male team Leroy Tripette, who works external affairs for Intel Corporation in Folsom.

The contest judges were Chevo Ramirez, regional vice president of the Wells Fargo Foundation, and Elyssa Lee, co-owner of Sactown Magazine and the celebrity pizza-making winner for 2010.

“I've had this idea to do a fundraiser through the company,” said Ravazzolo of beginning this yearly event. Ettore's Coffee Break was created in 2009 with the help of organizer Sharon Gerber.

“Last year, we had some celebrities, and this year we had some more celebrities. But it’s just locals,” he said. “It was a lot of fun.... Every year it grows more and more.”

Tripette said he was asked by Gerber to be part of the pizza-making contest.

“She gave me a call and told me I was doing it,” he said. “It was a lot of fun, a little scary, and I wasn't sure I knew what I was doing.”

Crocker, who was also approached by Gerber, said it was “awesome.”

“I trained at Hot Italian,” she said. “I was throwing it, and it was all in the technique.”

Youth Development Network (YDN) is a “mediator for groups working with young people,” said YDN trainer Andy Paul YDN is a resource to help support groups and organizations provide services for the youth, Paul added.

YDN has been around since 2000 and is centrally located in Sacramento. But, Paul said, the group isn’t limited to Sacramento and provides services to other counties in the region.

“We do a lot of training as well as networking, bringing some of these people together so they can learn from each other,” he said.

Adrian Ruiz, executive director of YDN, said during a closing speech that “this is the most successful YDN fundraiser to date.”
“Events like this brings more allies to our cause,” he added.

“We want to get more people involved,” Ravazzolo said at the end of the event, “but at the same time we want to have fun.”

Opinion Writing Workshop Feb. 24

2011-02-21T06:17:12Z

The next workshop hosted by The Sacramento Press will be on opinion writing. It will be held at our office from 6:30 - 8 p.m. Feb. 24.

Sacramento Press Editor in Chief David Watts Barton will discuss the importance of backing up your opinion, doing reporting and keeping your column focused.

Barton worked at The Sacramento Bee from 1985-2007. He was the pop music critic until 1994 and in addition to writing reviews, he wrote weekly columns called Poplife and The Beat.

As editor in chief of The Sacramento Press, Barton writes editorials on a regular basis.

Badges will be awarded to participants for attending the workshop. To become a verified community contributor, please bring a government-issued ID.

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107, in the Amtrak station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks.

We recommend you find parking on the street, bike or take light rail, as the Amtrak parking lot charges $2.00 per half hour, and we cannot cover the cost of parking. If you take light rail, we will give you two passes when you get here - one to cover your trip here and one to cover your trip back.

To RSVP for this workshop, e-mail workshops@sacramentopress.com. If you RSVP and decide later not to attend, please send us an e-mail to notify us that you will not be coming so we can have an accurate head count.

Thanks, and we hope to see you there!

Feb. 8th declared "Let's Move" Day

2011-02-09T04:25:40Z

Plans were announced at the Mayor's press conference Tuesday to construct a running track and community garden at Will C. Woods Middle School where U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius spoke to mark the one year anniversary of the “Let's Move” campaign.

Initiated by First Lady Michelle Obama on Feb. 8, 2010, “Let’s Move” is a healthy lifestyle campaign to address childhood obesity.

Sacramento City Unified School District was chosen as one of the 14 community sites in California, to receive a grant from the California Endowment with help through local partners The Sacramento Kings and UC Davis Health Services.

California Endowment spokeswoman Marley Klaus said SCUSD was chosen to be a part of “Let’s Move” based on a number of factors.

“It is typically an under-served community,” she said. “But there is also community involvement.”

In addition, Sacramento was considered not solely based on its “significant issues” but because it also has a lot of energy, Klaus added.

Before the press conference started, a group of about 40 students was led through a series of exercises by the Sacramento Kings mascot Slamson, cheerleaders and, Strength and Conditioning Coach Daniel Shapiro. Shapiro called out the drills, which included push-ups, jumping jacks and running in place, while Slamson and the cheerleaders demonstrated.

The press conference opened with words by Will C. Woods Middle School’s principal, Mary Desplinter. She said the reason for the school's participation is that obesity is an issue not just for Sacramento, but for the nation.

“We want to make sure to educate the whole child,” Desplinter said, adding that resources are limited for advocating healthy eating and lifestyles. Through the partnership, the school will be able to provide the facilities to promote “Let’s Move” and healthy lifestyle choices.

Robert K. Ross, CEO of the California Endowment, also spoke Tuesday to an audience of middle school students, teachers and Kings guard Pooh Jeter.

“We are here because we care about the students at this particular school,” he said. “We are happy to invest in 14 community sites, over $1 billion over the next 10 years.”

Mayor Kevin Johnson then spoke about the program, noting his support and its importance for local youth.

“You have to have a healthy lifestyle,” he said before asking the students in the gym to raise their hands in a pledge to eat healthy, help in the community garden and be physically active.

Johnson concluded his speech with, “We want to declare Feb. 8 as ‘Let’s Move’ Day in Sacramento.”

Sebelius added that with grants and funding, such as those from the endowment, the Sacramento Kings and UC Davis, students can help build healthy communities.

“I want to see that you’re going to be great leaders in the community,” she said, “Happy Birthday ‘Let’s Move.’ ”

Video by Kathleen Haley

Single on Valentine's Day?

2011-02-08T06:57:16Z

Couples scurry before Valentine’s Day to find their significant others the perfect gift: flowers, chocolate, perhaps an engagement ring? For many people Valentine’s Day may seem like a Hallmark holiday but for others – the single variety – it’s just another day in February.

The Sacramento Press set out to find how singles spend their Valentine’s Day.

“As you get older, it doesn’t matter as much when you’re in college and you’re busy,” said Erica Childs, a Davis native and first-year student at Chico State.

Childs added that she will be busy with sorority rush week at Chico State on the week of Valentine’s Day.

In addition, Yesania Villaroñ, a first-year nursing student at Sacramento State, said she hopes to keep herself busy with various school events on Valentine’s Day.

Like Villaroñ and Childs, Tina Smith, a Sacramento resident, said she will be working for 12 and a half hours on Valentine’s Day serving couples at P.F. Chang’s restaurant on J Street.

While many are busy working and engaging in school events on Valentine’s Day, Sacramento offers “anti-Valentine’s Day” parties to singles.

Lounge On 20 is holding an “Anti-Valentine’s Day Party” on Feb. 12 with an extended happy hour featuring chocolate covered strawberries, numerous prize giveaways and $5 drink specials after 10 p.m. Lounge On 20 is at 1050 20th St.

For those under 21, the Second Saturday Art Walk on Feb. 12 will be offering an “Anti-Valentine’s” gallery reception with the art of Nicolas Caesar and John Hageman Jr. The artists were selected by Wes Craven to be in the upcoming film Scream 4. The gallery is at 5635 Freeport Blvd., Suite 6.

For those looking to meet someone special on Valentine’s Day, the Sacramento News and Review is holding an “Un-Valentine’s Day” party at the Holiday Inn Grand Ballroom at 8 p.m. on Feb. 1. Tickets are $25 per person and more than 500 local singles will be attending in hopes of finding that special someone. The party will also offer a class on how to reel in other singles for an additional $14.

Kai Ross, 23-year-old Elk Grove resident, said he hopes to celebrate Valentine’s Day with his sister’s friends.

“You should find someone you like spending time with,” Ross said. “Not someone you’re willing to just jump into bed with, but someone for camaraderie.”

Although Eric Brockman, a sales associate at J Street Hydrogarden, said he doesn’t normally celebrate Valentine’s Day himself, it still has a sentimental value to him since his parents were married on Valentine’s Day.

“I don’t really celebrate it, but I call my parents every Valentine’s Day because that’s when they got married,” Brockman said. “That’s what I do.”

Valentine's Day on a budget

2011-02-08T04:21:49Z

Whether you’re short on cash or you’d rather spend your money on something else, Valentine's Day can seem like another unnecessary financial burden. With the typical gift of chocolates, roses and romantic dinners generally geared toward couples, it may feel hard to keep up on a budget.

This year, Valentine's Day falls on a Monday, leaving a whole weekend’s worth of events leading up to the holiday.

The Sacramento Press had the cash-strapped in mind, when we put together a list of things to do around Sacramento, Valentine’s-themed or otherwise, for $20 or less a person.

Friday, Saturday, and Monday
Selland's Specials
Selland's Market-Cafe
5340 H St
Served daily (Monday - Saturday) after 3 p.m.
Blue plate specials: $10 per person
Weekly dinner special (dinner and a bottle of wine): $25 for two.
sellands.com

Looking for classy dining without the steep price tag? Selland’s is offering $10 blue plate specials for the month of February. A different entrée and side is featured each day. If you come on Tuesday, you’ll be treated to panko crusted salmon with an Asian noodle salad. Friday’s special is wood-oven roast pork with mashed potatoes and broccoli. Your heart may be aching but your stomach will be happy.

Saturday
Danny Daze
The Park Ultra Lounge
1116 15th St.
Starts at 9 p.m.
$15 at the door. Ages 21 and older.
theparkdowntown.com

Danny Daze, a nationally recognized DJ, will be performing at The Park Ultra Lounge downtown. Though it costs $15 (and the drinks aren't free), the Park Ultra Lounge is good place to dance the night away and maybe meet someone new.

Second Saturday Art Walk
Sacramento Midtown/downtown grid
Free. 5 – 9:30 p.m.
More information: 2nd-sat.com

Second Saturday isn't anything new in Sacramento. But, since this year it falls on the weekend before Valentine's Day, there are a host of themes to discover along the art walk. Many artists and venues will be hosting events, such as the Artist Foundry gallery, who will have a demonstration on the art of bronze pouring and sculpting.

Tango by the River Milonga
Tango by the River
128 J St.
8 - 9 p.m.
$15 - $20 per person. Ages 18 and older.
rivertango.com

The Tango by the River studio sits directly over the Sacramento River in Old Sacramento. Instructors Donna and Steve Williams offer Milongas, or Argentine Tango dance parties, as an introduction to the Tango. Go with your partner, or go alone, this is one party you shouldn’t miss

Teen Un-Valentine’s Day
Central Library- Teen Underground
828 I St.
1 - 2 p.m.
Free.
More information: saclibrary.org or call 264-2770.

For the bitter teenager, we’ve got just the place for you. Come to the Central Library for games, snacks and crafts with a very Un-Valentine's Day theme. Don't show up wearing red or pink, only black or other dark, gloomy colors are allowed. Get your emo on.

Sunday
Blues Jam
Torch Club
904 15th St.
4 - 7 p.m.
Free. Ages 21 and older.
More information: torchclub.net or call 443-2797.

Established the same year prohibition ended, in 1934, the Torch Club has been a longtime Blues Club in Sacramento. For those feeling blue, from being alone or being broke, Torch Club offers a blues jam and happy hour for those who want to play away their sorrows.

Make Chocolate Roses
Central Library – Teen Underground
828 I St.
2 - 4 p.m.
Free
More information: saclibrary.org or call 264-2770.

Need a Valentine's Day gift for your teenage love? The Central Library has you covered. Nothing says “I love you” like a bouquet of chocolate roses made out of Hershey's Kisses. All materials will be supplied, you just have to bring yourself.

Locals attend tree health workshop at McKinley Park

2011-02-07T07:55:41Z

Local residents gathered at the Clunie Community Center in McKinley Park Saturday for a workshop on tree health by California arborist Susan Sims.

The workshop was hosted by the Guardian Stewardship, a private nonprofit dedicated to supporting teaching about preservation, with the help of the Sacramento Tree Foundation, a local nonprofit. The four-hour presentation consisted of a video, a guest speaker and a outside tour of the trees in the park.

“We are creating a new legacy,” said Ray Tretheway, executive director of the Sacramento Tree Foundation, during his opening comments to the presentation. Tretheway also gave a brief history of the 31.9-acre McKinley Park.

In attendance of Sims presentation titled “McKinley Park, Tree Health and Preservation,” was an estimated 25 to 30 people.

“We are not going tell you how to prune here,” Sims said. “We are not tree trimmers,” but rather tree health specialists.

The focus of Sims’ presentation was basic tree biology, which concerned such things as selection, soil, irrigation, planting and pest control, among other pertinent issues about trees and tree health, all of which fall under what she calls PHC, or Plant Health Care.

Sims, who runs Sims Tree Health Specialists, Inc., established in 1972, offers presentations and consultation in tree and plant health. She also runs a small learning center, Sims Tree Learning Center, which offers workshops, a small museum and botanic garden for displaced plant life.

All attendees were Sacramento locals with varying reasons for participating in the workshop.

Garden designer Jeannie Hanson, who writes the blog Geno’s Garden, came because she is “always looking to know more.”

“It's very interesting, but I was hoping to do more looking at the big trees,” she said.

Anne Fenkner, regional director for the Sacramento Tree Foundations' Greenprint Program, which aims to plant 5 million trees by 2025, began with the foundation to “help people learn about and protect trees.”

She said McKinley Park was chosen for the workshop because it is a place of significance for Sacramento. There is so much at the park for the public and that there is a large volume of people who come to it on a regular basis.

The more people learn about trees in workshops such as this one, Fenkner said, the more they can help the foundation "create livable cities.”