Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "raleys"

Former Raley’s President and CEO Bill Coyne joins William Jessup University’s Board of Trustees

2011-08-17T15:59:00Z

William Jessup University today announced that Bill Coyne has been appointed to the Board of Trustees at the Sacramento area’s only residential four year private university.

Mr. Coyne has been a fixture in the Sacramento region for many years. He served for eight years as President and CEO of Raley’s Family of Fine Stores, overseeing the privately held chain of supermarkets operating in California and Nevada that employs approximately 13,000 workers and has revenues in excess of $3.2 billion.

Mr. Coyne joined Raley’s in 1997 and held positions as General Counsel/Corporate Secretary, Executive Vice President/Business Development and Chief Operating Officer before his appointment as President and Chief Executive Officer of Raley’s in 2002.

He is currently the principal of WJ Coyne Consulting Group, providing strategic consulting services to businesses, private equity firms and service providers.

“I’m delighted to join the Board of Trustees at William Jessup University. Preparing young adults to lead meaningful and productive lives, where faith and marketplace skills are fully integrated, is indeed a high calling,” said Mr. Coyne. “But this is exactly what our world needs today! I’m privileged to partner with William Jessup in this exciting educational endeavor.”

Founded in 1939 and located on 128 acres in Rocklin, William Jessup University offers a number of traditional undergraduate degree programs as well as degree completion programs through its School of Professional Studies, which operates on its campuses in Rocklin and San Jose. The University moved to Rocklin in August 2004 and now has approximately 800 students.

“We are extremely honored to have Bill join our Board of Trustees,” said William Jessup President Dr. John Jackson. “This is an exciting period of growth for William Jessup. This semester we are welcoming six new full time faculty members and will have the largest number of incoming students in the university’s 72 year history. We look forward to utilizing Bill as a valuable resource as the University continues to grow and prosper in the upcoming years. He will be a tremendous asset to the University’s commitment of delivering a high quality, Christ-centered curriculum.”

Before joining Raley’s, Mr. Coyne was in the private practice of law in Los Angeles and Sacramento, where he specialized in business, financial and real property matters.

Born in Chicago, he received his BS degree in Finance and Economics from the University of Illinois and his Juris Doctor Degree from the University of Southern California School of Law in Los Angeles.

Mr. Coyne currently serves on the Board of Directors of New Door Ventures (San Francisco), LifePoint Church (Incline Village, Nev.) and the Board of Advisors of the New Canaan Society (New Canaan, Conn.).

Bill and his wife, Maryann, reside in Incline Village and have three adult sons.

About William Jessup University

Founded in 1939 by William Jessup, the University moved to Rocklin, California, in August 2004. WJU is the first and only WASC-accredited private, four year university to have its main campus located in the greater Sacramento area, offering degrees in many different disciplines, including Business Administration, Family & Children’s Ministry, English, History, Intercultural Studies, Liberal Studies (Teacher Education), Music, Pastoral Ministry, Psychology, Public Policy and Youth Ministry.

Anticipated majors include fields in the humanities and science. WJU also offers a School of Professional Studies (SPS) at its campuses in Rocklin and San Jose. Program concentrations in Rocklin include Business Administration, Counseling Psychology and a Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Credential Program. In San Jose, concentrations are offered in Business Administration, Counseling Psychology and Christian Leadership. For more information, please visit www.jessup.edu or call (916) 577-2200.

Disclosure: Jeffrey Weidel is a Vice President of Halldin Public Relations in Roseville.

Click it or clip it: How do you save at the checkout?

2011-04-15T23:03:23Z

In these tough economic times, everyone is looking for ways to save money. From cutting back on the daily lattes to at-home “staycations,” people are getting more and more creative in the ways they choose to spend – or not spend – their money.

One trend that seems to be really taking off lately is couponing: clipping out and saving up those little 20-cents-off and buy-2-get-1-free offers that grocery stores put in the inserts of the Sunday paper.

Recently, TLC network aired a new reality show about this very topic, “Extreme Couponing.” This isn’t your momma’s coupon-clipping, however.

In “Extreme Couponing,” we get to see folks who are crazy-good at saving money on their groceries. (Or maybe they’re just crazy?) Some of the people on the show spend up to six hours a day clipping out and organizing coupons for marathon shopping trips. Others stockpile enough food and non-perishables to last up to six months.

How do we do it in Sacramento? Are we jumping on the couponing bandwagon? Or is “Extreme Couponing” a little too extreme for our tastes?

Here’s what some Sacramento-area shoppers had to say when asked, “Are you an “Extreme Coupon-er?”

Sabrina Ratkowski, 40, a scheduler at UC Davis Medical Center, lives in Sacramento and has never seen “Extreme Couponing.” Ratkowski said she does use coupons sometimes, but doesn’t put a lot of effort into it.

“I find coupons online with Raley’s sometimes,” Ratkowski said. “You can go on (the chain’s website) and find some deals.”

If she doesn’t find what she wants or needs online, Ratkowski said she occasionally turns to co-workers for a little help.

“I share coupons with the girls at work,” Ratkowski said. “If someone finds a good deal on something but they aren’t going to use it, they let the others (in the group) know about it.”

More often than not, though, Ratkowski said she shops at a different store near her office to pick up a few things, so she uses manufacturer’s coupons instead of the store-specific ones. It’s worth the effort, though, she said.

“Just this past week I spent $20, and I saved $5,” Ratkowski said. “That’s a pretty good deal to me.”

Margaret Minjarez, a 57-year-old homemaker from Sacramento, has also never watched “Extreme Couponing,” and it doesn’t really interest her much.

“I use coupons sometimes when I find them,” Minjarez said.

Minjarez doesn’t have a computer but said she knows that online coupons are gaining popularity. Without access to online savings, Minjarez said she relies on newspaper inserts and store mailers for opportunities to save on groceries. When she comes across coupons that seem interesting, she takes them to the store with her.

“Sometimes I’ll look at the coupons I have with me, and maybe I can’t use (the item) now,” Minjarez said, “But if I think I’ll use (the item) later, I’ll just buy it anyway.”

She’s a pretty good shopper already, she said, so even without doing much clipping, she said she saves about $20 per week.

Pete Wedel, a self-described “ageless” artist from Sacramento, said he doesn’t use coupons for one reason: “They’re nothing but a hassle.”

“First you have to search ’em,” Wedel said, “Then you have to clip ’em out, keep ’em with you, sort ’em out – you see? Hassle.”

When asked what it would take to get him to use coupons, Wedel said the coupons would have to be more convenient.

“Have ’em in the store next to what you’re buying,” Wedel said. “I look for the deal that’s right there.”

Jolene Wilson, 31, a pharmacy technician from Roseville, is one who clearly prefers clicking to clipping when it comes to saving money on groceries.

“Safeway has the ‘Just for U’ program now, and it’s paperless,” Wilson said. “You go online, sign up, and click on the coupons you want. Your Safeway (club member) card tracks the list, and when you get to the register, you don’t have to have a bunch of coupons in your hand.”

According to Safeway Store Manager Keith Cristobal, the Safeway online coupon program was one of the first of its kind and is now one of the largest in the nation.

“It’s just been a wonderful program,” Cristobal said. “A lot of our customers use it.”

Wilson said the Safeway ad comes out every Wednesday, and she uses it regularly.

“It saves money in this recession,” Wilson said. “If it weren’t for that program, I wouldn’t use coupons.”

Not everyone we talked to was quite so laid-back about couponing, however. For some, it’s an important way to keep within their tight family budgets.

Kelly Schmidt, 33, case manager for Placer County Office of Education, said she uses the “Just for U” program to save money on groceries every week.

“I love it,” Schmidt said.

Online, store-specific coupon programs require shoppers to use the store website and select the items they want to buy from a list of that week’s available special deals.

“You have to print out the list,” Schmidt said, waving a handful of papers. “If you don’t, you’ll never remember which items you really wanted.”

Making up the list took less than 10 minutes, Schmidt said – significantly less time than the coupon-clippers on Extreme Couponing seem to take each day to prepare for their shopping.

Schmidt said she didn’t use coupons before she heard of the online program.

“I didn’t have time,” Schmidt said. “I have kids, I have a full-time job. If I had to cut out coupons, I wouldn’t use them.”

Schmidt said she saves about $100 per week using the store’s online coupon program, and it’s worth the small amount of effort she expends.

“I don’t pay full price for anything,” Schmidt says. “I refuse.”

Are you a coupon-clipper? Or maybe a coupon-avoider? We'd love to hear from you on this one. Leave us your thoughts in a comment below about your own money-saving style.

Soft opening for Good Eats

2010-08-24T01:50:32Z

Good Eats — a cafe, wine bar and market by Raley's heir Michael Teel and partners — held its soft opening Monday.

The gourmet takeout kitchen was a bit overwhelmed, serving 180 customers on the first day. Management asked prospective customers to be patient while any kinks are worked out at the market cafe, 3145 Folsom Blvd., throughout the rest of the week, said a manager.

The official opening will be held in September. Hours are expected to be 6 a.m. - 8 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 6 a.m. - 9 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 7 a.m. - 9 p.m. Saturdays and 7 a.m. - 8 p.m. Sundays, said Julie Rollofson, Good Eats chief executive officer and Teel's wife.

The first Good Eats specialty grocery opened in Arizona but shut down in March.

Photos by Suzanne Hurt, a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Grocery Outlet: Then and Now

2010-08-21T00:12:37Z

When I wrote Sacramento: Then and Now I wanted to show some images that were missed in other local history books, but were immediately recognizable by people who lived in the neighborhoods portrayed. I chose the image of the grocery store at 17th and Capitol because it was just this sort of place: ordinary, but recognizable and essential. At the time, it was still Rick's Uptown Market--one of the hazards of a book titled "Then and Now" is that the date of publication immediately becomes a new "Then."

The building is about 100 years old--I am pretty sure, but not positive, that it was constructed in about 1910. It was constructed as the Perkins and Company grocery store, selling food as well as dry goods and other essentials. Perkins & Company was first established in the town of Perkins, about seven miles east of Sacramento by Thomas Calley Perkins, renamed in his honor from the earlier name of Brighton. Thomas' son, Charles Calley Perkins, expanded the family business to Sacramento in the early 1900s, so this store was probably his idea. More about the history of Brighton Township, including Perkins, can be found in this a free online book called Stories of the Land by Paula J. Peper. The book was published by Stonebridge Properties, who currently plan to develop the Perkins/Brighton area into a new Sacramento County subdivision.

When the Perkins Store was built, Capitol Avenue was still known as M Street, and a streetcar line ran down its center. Paving was becoming commonplace in that decade, so the road may have been macadamized, but there was still a lot of horse traffic in addition to the streetcars, bicycles, pedestrians and a growing number of automobiles. Like most streetcar routes, M Street's property values were higher than adjacent blocks, so buildings on the street were more commonly commercial, multi-family dwellings or large, expensive homes of prominent families.

The Perkins & Company Store went out of business in 1944, but it served as a neighborhood market after Perkins closed: by the 1950s, it was a Raley's store. More recently it was part of the Compton's Market local chain, and most recently Rick's before closing and reopening as a Grocery Outlet store.

As the photos show, other than covering up some of the street-side windows with stucco, the store hasn't changed very much. The mural, now in mid-restoration/enhancement, gives a little bit of flavor, not strictly what the building actually looked like but enough to evoke the past. In the past week, Sacramento lost one of its oldest market buildings to fire, but places like the old Perkins Store, reopened today as a Grocery Outlet, still function in their historic role. As Sacramentans redisciver their central city, buildings like this one and places like neighborhood markets will have an important role to play. Perhaps this building could serve the neighborhood as a grocery store for another hundred years?

East Sac poised for Good Eats

2010-08-20T01:05:07Z

Raley's heir Michael Teel and partners will open a new cafe, wine bar and market called Good Eats in East Sacramento Monday.

Similar to Selland's Market-Café and Corti Brothers, which operate on other end of East Sacramento, the kitchen will offer hot and cold takeout foods, wine and coffee. The specialty grocery will include wine, butchered meats, seafood, cheeses, bakery items and flowers.

On Thursday, Good Eats official Julie Rollofson led food and wine tastings to prepare for a soft opening set for 6 a.m. Monday. The opening follows a lengthy renovation of what used to be Andiamo restaurant and the Rosemont Grill at 3145 Folsom Blvd., near Alhambra Boulevard.

The establishment promises to be the flagship store for the Good Eats company founded by Teel and venture capitalist Michael Ashker, who partnered previously to run Prosper Media in Midtown. Ashker also founded Internet companies Healthaxis and Courtlink.

Teel — grandson of Raley's founder and son of its owner, Joyce Raley Teel — was named president and chief executive officer of the West Sacramento-based Raley's grocery chain last January after an eight-year absence. He'd also served as Raley's CEO between 1996 and 2002.

Teel's original plan to open his first Good Eats specialty market at 5810 Folsom Blvd. — a retail space long occupied by Corti Brothers — in 2008 met with stiff opposition from locals because it would have forced the Italian gourmet shop to move. Teel canceled those plans and opened several Good Eats markets in Arizona.

Good Eats was previously scheduled to open last December. The building's brick and brown adobe-style exterior is accented with an outdoor terrace, new landscaping and trellis work.

Photos by Suzanne Hurt, a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

River Cats Summer Rolling

2010-06-23T05:55:36Z

June 21. The first day of summer.

I, and 7,000 of my closest friends, rang in the turning of the season on a glorious evening at Raley Field, where the River Cats completed an impressive 7-1 homestand by shutting out the Salt Lake City Bees 4-0.

On a picture-perfect night for baseball, the home team bounced back from the previous day's defeat behind eight innings of shutout ball from starter Kyle Middleton. The right-hander had six strikeouts and lowered his E.R.A to 2.69, tops among River Cats starters.

A major factor in the River Cats' recent resurgence has been their vastly improved play defensively. Although individual fielding stats are not readily available for River Cats players, I don't need a stat sheet to tell me that one of the major trouble spots earlier this season was first baseman Chris Carter. So it was especially heartening to see him make a nifty unassisted double play to end the top of the first. It wasn't spectacular, but it was the kind of play that a struggling young fielder can gain confidence from, and it certainly fired up the squad.

The Cats came out swinging in the bottom half of the inning. Unfortunately for Coco Crisp, who came into the at-bat batting over .600, it was an uncharacteristic swinging strikeout, but Eric Sogard started the Cats rally, and extended his hitting streak to 14 games with an infield single.

The former ASU Sun Devil proceeded to steal second base, take third when the catcher's throw sailed into center field, and score when DH Matt Watson hit a grounder to the right side of the infield. Watson wound up on first when the Bees first baseman, Mark Trumbo, couldn't handle the ball.

Another key to the River Cats' recent success has been smart, opportunistic base-running and fundamental baseball. You're not always going to hit three run bombs. Sometimes you need to manufacture runs, and that's just what the River Cats did, scoring Sogard without hitting a ball out of the infield.

The next batter, Chris Carter, broke the outfield seal by smacking an RBI double down the left-field line. Bees starting pitcher Fernando Rodriguez then seemed to lose his composure a bit. He walked the next two Cats hitters to load the bases before getting Matt Carson to pop out to the catcher. But he followed that by plunking Adam Heether in the ribcage to force in another run.

He struck out Steve Tolleson to end the inning, but the damage was already done. The River Cats had a 3-0 lead, which the Bees would never really challenge.

Middleton allowed five singles and a walk over his eight strong innings, but he spread them out and the fifth was the only inning that the Bees managed to get more than one runner on base. After retiring the first two batters of the inning, Middleton gave up back to back singles to the Bees eighth and ninth hitters.

The first and only time that the Bees managed to get the tying runner-up to the plate, leadoff hitter Terry Evans flew out to right to end the rally.

Rodriguez settled down after the first and held the Cats in check until the sixth, when he ran into a bit more trouble. Like Middleton in the fifth, he got the first two outs before giving up back to back singles. With runners on first and third, Bees manager Bobby Mitchell brought in reliever Kevin Nabors to face Eric Sogard, the Cats' hottest hitter not named "Coco."

Speaking of Coco, he stole second with Sogard at the plate, putting two runners in scoring position with two outs.

The squeeze bunt to score a run from third is one of the more exciting plays in baseball, but it is very rarely done with two outs. With two outs, what is already a difficult play becomes infinitely more so. The bunt has to be close to perfect, because in order for the run to count, the bunter must also reach base safely.

None of this mattered to Sogard, who stepped into the batter's box and proceeded to lay down a perfect RBI squeeze bunt, reaching first well in front of the throw of dumbfounded Bees third baseman, Paul McAnulty.

It was a smart, gutsy play by a smart, gutsy player. Enjoy "Sogie" while he is here. It may not be for much longer.

Mike Benacka completed the shutout by tossing a scoreless ninth.

A beautiful start to the summer.

The last three pics are the work of the lovely and talented Larissa Gomez. The rest are the work of the slightly less lovely and talented Lindol French

If you'd like to talk balls and strikes, feel free to contact me at lindol@gmail.com

Grape Escape satisfies wine and food enthusiasts

2010-06-07T22:06:03Z

Cesar Chevez Park was a foodie and wino's paradise on Saturday night at the 8th Annual Raley's Grape Escape.

Upon entrance, attendees were handed platters and wine glasses that vendors kept filled. For three hours, guests circled the plaza enjoying samples from Sacramento's up-and-coming restaurants along with more than 100 wineries from surrounding counties such as Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, and Nevada among others.

"This was my third straight year I have gone to the Grape Escape and once again it was a great time with a broad variety of wineries and restaurants," said Melissa McNabb.

Local restaurants such as Grange Restaurant & Bar, Mulvaney's Building & Loan, Brew it Up, Zocalo, Lucca, and P.F. Changs (among many others) served samplings of their most popular menu items in both liquid and solid form. Many restaurants took the event as an opportunity to reel in future business and passed out coupons for future visits. Grange even passed out a $20 gift cards to those who waited in a lengthy line to sample their sausage and pulled-pork sandwiches.

Aside from Grange, some of the most popular samplings included sliders from the recently-opened Cafeteria 15L, barbecued corn and asparagus from Raley's, lettuce wraps from P.F. Changs, and a garlic-rich pasta from Paesano's.

In support of the event, in the weeks before Grape Escape various Raley's and Bel-Air stores hosted in-store tastings featuring pours from wineries at Grape Escape. Some of these included Barefoot Bubbly, Michael David, Toasted Head and Ironstone.

"The goal of [Grape Escape] is to educate the locals on all the culinary treasures that we have here in the Sacramento region," said Mike Testa, Vice President of Communications at the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau. "Too often, many people automatically think Napa and Sonoma when they think wine tasting and we want them to know that award-winning wines are here in their own backyard. We saw that education in action this weekend."

The main attraction and most excitement came from the "Chef's Challenge" on the main stage, presented by the Institute of Technology. The battle of the local chefs showcased the talents of Ame Harrington of L Wine Lounge & Urban Kitchen, Noah Zonca of The Kitchen Restaurant, Adam Pechal of Tuli Bistro, and Darrell Madeira of Crush 29. TV personality and "Good Day Sacramento" host Mark S. Allen kept the competition lively.

All chefs, with the help of an assistant, were given 25 minutes to prepare and serve a dish with a pre-selected basket of ingredients, including Sturgeon, English peas, strawberries, Horseradish root, and Manchego cheese. Teams competed in two rounds and the winner advanced to the final round. It came down to Harrington and Zonca and after the judges weighed on their final dishes, Zonca was crowned winning chef.

Judges for the event included Rick Kushman, The Sacramento Bee "Good Life" columnist; Patty Mastracco, Food Editor for Raley's "Something Extra" magazine; and Don Dickinson, Culinary Division Director at the Institute of Technology's Culinary Arts Division.

"I especially enjoyed the chef competition and the opportunity it gives local chefs to showcase their talents," said Ali Zamanian, who had worked at past Grape Escapes as a vendor but was able to enjoy the event for the first time as a guest.

Other entertainment throughout the event included live music and art by local artists on display throughout the plaza.

When 7 p.m. came and it was time for Grape Escape-goers to leave, many left with satisfied palates, filled with our region's culinary offerings.

For a full listing of participating restaurants and wineries, visit the Grape Escape website.

All photos by Ron Nabity of Nabity Photos

Take me out with the crowd. (not the press)

2010-05-05T03:00:43Z

I love baseball. I love watching it, playing it, listening to it on the radio – whatever. So when the Sacramento Press editors asked me if I wanted to cover any games, I jumped at the chance.

All right, maybe they didn't so much ask me as I harassed them until they gave in. They finally tired of the flow of sad, slightly creepy voicemail messages I'd been leaving on their machines:

"Hi, it's Lindol. I just wanted you to know that I'm free for every River Cats home game, and if you want, I could, maybe, I don't know, go and write about it?"

“Hey, Lindol again. I just wanted to say that I had a really nice time at the Kings game, and I really like baseball, and if you wanted I could, you know, help out..."

"Hey, Lindol here, I don't know if you got my last three messag..."

"Lindol, it's Casey. We got you a couple press passes. Now, please, never call here again..."

Long story short: Tonight I attended my very first River Cats game, and I did so with a press credential hanging around my neck. I asked the gentleman who gave me my pass where I should sit. He looked at me like I was I from Mars.

"Uh, the Press Box?" Me, sitting in the press box? Be still my beating heart!

I must admit, I had a highly romanticized idea of what the press box would be like. And it did not live up to the high standards I set for it in my fantasy world. There was not a single person wearing a fedora with a piece of paper reading "press" shoved into the band. Illusions shattered.

There was, however, a full catered spread with three salads and two types of meat, rolls, cookies, sweets and all the coffee you can drink. I grabbed a cup of coffee and took a seat at the front table in between three far more professional scribes (I could tell ’cause their credentials were laminated). I offered a, "What's up fellas?" The response was less than warm.

As I recall, it was one low-key, "Hey guy," and two that went something like, "Please, no eye contact."

I hung out for almost the whole first half inning, at which time I came to the realization that baseball is not meant to be watched from on high with a bunch of high-faluting mucky mucks. It's meant to be watched from down below, with the hoi polloi. I excused myself, grabbed a small plate of pulled pork and potato salad and joined the unwashed masses for what turned out to be a remarkable ball game.

The River Cats jumped out to a 3-0 lead the first time through the lineup, without an extra base hit. They scored the three runs on four singles, some heads-up base running and some less-than-stellar fielding by the Bees.

Meanwhile, Clayton Mortenson retired the first 11 Bees he faced, losing his no-hit bid when he miffed fielding a swinging bunt so badly that the scorekeeper called it a hit.

Chris Carter followed that misplay with an error of his own as the Bees cleanup hitter smacked one right between the first baseman's wickets. E3, and the Bees were on the board.

The good guys answered with four runs in the bottom of the fourth on two monster home runs – one by Corey Brown to lead off the inning and another, a three-run shot by Carter, making up for his earlier miscue.

At this point, it was 7-1, and I set about enjoying the atmosphere more and keeping track of things like “who did what,” less. I grabbed a hot dog and may or may not have grabbed a beer, depending on what the policy is on people with press passes having a Tecate with their dinner. It's anybody's guess really.

I love that it is a minor league game and atmosphere, but there is nothing "minor-league" about the stadium. The facilities are absolutely top-notch. It feels a bit like a smaller version of PNC park in Pittsburgh, and that is high praise indeed.

In case you forgot that it was a minor league stadium, you had these nuggets:

-The "K batter" on the Bees striking out and winning everyone in the stadium free sushi.

-The "Senior Dance-Off"...a dance-off...between seniors. It was hotly contested, but I think everybody won.

-The hot dog gun.

-The T-shirt gun.

-A lone, tatooed super-heckler, whose booming catcalls resonated throughout the entire stadium.

-One of the weakest "Sweet Caroline" sing-alongs I've ever seen – and I've seen some awful ones, most started by me.

So then it was 8-3, and I moved up to the front row behind the Bees’ dugout. I met a couple of fifth graders, Dakota and Adam, who were there on a VIP package. Dakota had won said package, which included being "the lineup card kid" before the game started. He had the Bees’ original lineup, signed by the River Cats coach, whom he'd met. Both of the kids were clutching newly won PCL baseballs and exceedingly happy about the development.

I asked Dakota how he'd won the package.

"I wrote an essay about what the YMCA means to me."

"Very cool," I responded, thinking that it was, indeed, very cool. "What did you write?"

He looked at me a bit quizzically at first, then smiled sheepishly and offered, "To be honest, I don't really remember. I won though!"

You certainly did, my young friend, you certainly did.

So right about there, the score went from being 8-3, to being 8-9. It was brutal. The Bees put up six runs in the top of the seventh.

Marcus Mcbeth came in with two men on and an 8-4 lead. He didn't record an out, and by the time he was finally relieved, it was too late.

In his defense, he did form one half of possibly the best-named pitcher/catcher battery of all time: Marcus McBeth was pitching to none other than Dusty Napoleon. Ladies and gentlemen, I defy you to make up something like that.

So the River Cats lost, but the point is, everybody else won, in both the whimsical "We're all winners at the ball game sense" and in the "We all get free sushi from Sushi Unlimited" sense.

Winner, Winner, Sushi, Dinner.

The really good pics (7-11, 16, like I need to tell you. . .) are the work of Ahsan Awan, those of lesser quality are the "work" of yours truly.

Local Red Cross Accepts Their Largest Donation for Haiti Relief

2010-03-10T21:59:45Z

In photo left to right: David Fluitt, Raley's Pharmacy Supervisor and Haitian Aid Mission volunteer; Dawn Lindblom, American Red Cross Sacramento Sierra Chapter CEO; Michael Teel, Raley's President and CEO; Steve Turner, American Red Cross Sacramento Sierra Chapter Board Chair and Jennifer Teel-Wolter, Raley's Communitarian.

Local Red Cross Accepts Their Largest Donation for Haiti Relief

The Sacramento Sierra Chapter of the American Red Cross accepted their largest check for the Haiti Relief and Development Fund on Tuesday, March 9 from Raley’s President & CEO, Michael Teel.

From January 16 through February 13, all 134 Raley’s, Bel Air, Nob Hill Foods and Food Source stores featured donation boxes for Haitian earthquake relief at their check stands, which brought in more than $149,000.

“We are incredibly grateful for the generosity of so many Raley’s customers and employees,” said Teel. “It’s a true testament to our community’s giving spirit – we knew many people wanted to aid relief efforts in Haiti, and by converting our Food For Families collection boxes so 100% of donations benefit the American Red Cross, we received a tremendous response.”

“I applaud the initiative that Raley’s has taken in responding to the devastation and destruction in Haiti by spearheading a month-long collection to support the Red Cross relief efforts,” shared CEO of the Sacramento Sierra Chapter, Dawn Lindblom. The supplies that these funds will provide for the people of Haiti include relief items still being distributed in Haiti including blankets, tarps, kitchen sets and hygiene items.

About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation's blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit HYPERLINK "http://www.redcross.org" www.redcross.org or join our blog at HYPERLINK "http://blog.redcross.org/" \o "http://blog.redcross.org/" http://blog.redcross.org.

Photo | Kati Garner, American Red Cross volunteer

Local efforts to aid disaster in Haiti

2010-01-17T04:11:37Z

In wake of the recent disaster in Haiti, many people are looking for ways to help the victims. There are various ways to do so on a local level, and some businesses are already making a difference. From big to small, fundraisers and donations are giving Sacramentans ways to reach out to Haiti. With the damage still unknown, there is still more we can do to help.

Here’s what you can do to help with disaster relief in Haiti:

-Local businesses and communities can take the initiative to raise and donate funds to the Sacramento-Sierra Chapter of the American Red Cross, whose spokeswoman Trista Jensen says, “The best thing that people can do right now is to make a donation.”

KCRA 3 is joining with the Sacramento Sierra American Red Cross chapter to raise funds to help the victims in Haiti. On Monday from 4:30 a.m. until 7 p.m., the station’s Call 3 volunteers will be taking calls at 916-447-2255 if you'd like to make a donation.

Reach out to a local business you frequent and ask them to donate a percentage of their sales for one day, one hour, or even one item. Also, consider contributing to efforts already set in place, especially if it means shopping, dining, or attending events at an alternative venue that will donate some of those sales.

Raley’s, the West Sacramento-based grocer, has set up checkstand collection boxes for American Red Cross aid to Haiti at all 134 Raley’s, Bel Air, Nob Hill Foods and Food Source stores, beginning Saturday. Raley’s will accept donations through Feb. 13 and said Friday that it will give 100 percent of the donations directly to the American Red Cross and will pay for all its administrative costs.

Also joining the efforts is Punch Line Comedy Club , who will be hosting a comedy benefit February 2nd and will donate 100 percent of it’s ticket sales to Haitian relief. On February 17th Marilyn's will be hosting "Helping Hands for Haiti," a benefit show featuring local artists (visit soulsandsounds.com for more information).

Do you know of other local fundraisers planned? Are there restaurants, entertainment venues, or other local businesses pitching in to donate to the victims of the Haiti earthquake? If so, we want to spotlight them on The Sacramento Press. Please comment below or email mona@sacramentopress.com.

Check back this upcoming week for more information about how you can contribute to local efforts.

Is The Sacramento City Council Being "Greenwashed"? Part 2

2010-01-12T22:57:29Z

In case you missed this earlier, let me clarify the newly coined term "greenwash". If whitewashing is to 'gloss over or cover up a crime or a scandal', then "greenwashing" would be the use of money in an attempt to gloss over or cover up a crime or scandal.

When our family read that the new wing at the Crocker Art Museum was going to be named The Teel Family Pavilion, we became unglued. This is the same family that owns the Raley’s Supermarket chain of stores. Joyce Raley Teel’s $13 million dollar donation enabled them the honor of having the new addition named after them. As you know from my previous articles about Raley’s and the Teel’s, a crime was committed against my father and our family has been seeking justice on his behalf ever since his death.

Since our father’s $592 civil lawsuit(case 544344) against the Teel’s and Raley’s for “fraud and unjust enrichment”, they have spent over $33 million dollars to have their names placed on public buildings. The Thomas P. Raley Boys and Girls Club, Raley Field and now they are using their money to get their name placed on the prestigious new $100 million addition to the Crocker Art Museum. According to Raley’s own website: “Raley's ranks Number One in the Sacramento Business Journal's list of Corporate Philanthropy”. In our opinion their philanthropy is Joyce’s way of trying to cover her company’s crime and “greenwash” the Sacramento community into not believing Charles Nordby’s story.

What Joyce is doing reminds me of what the Joker did in the 1989 Batman movie. After the part he went into the art museum, wrote his name on the wall and desecrated the museum, he danced before a crowd of people in pandemonium and tossed money at them as he said: "Who do you trust!" Hubba, hubba, hubba! Money, money, money! Who do you trust? Me? I'm giving away free money." I don't think Joyce is in any condition to dance to a Prince song but she is very capable of distributing money to whoever she feels she needs to.

After reading our family’s letter to the Sacramento City Council it will be interesting to see if they will be “greenwashed” by the $13 million dollar donation from Joyce Raley Teel so she could have her family name placed on the new building. We believe that the new Crocker Art Museum addition should be named after Marcy and Mort Friedman, a couple who rightfully deserve it.

December 21, 2009
Mayor Kevin Johnson
915 I Street, 5th Floor
Mail Code 09100
Sacramento, CA 95814

Dear Mayor Kevin Johnson,

Our family has been fighting a horrible injustice against our father Charles Nordby for over 18 years.

Our father is the man who saved Tom Raley’s company from going bankrupt in 1973 and made the success of the Raley’s Supermarket chain a reality for today. Without his services Raley’s would have been out of business by 1974.

He was defrauded by Raley’s of what they promised and what he was entitled to. Since then he was also defrauded by Raley’s attorney’s at Downy, Brand, Seymour and Rower, the Sacramento Superior Courts and the local news media.

Our fathers lawsuit stated that all of Raley’s and Jim and Joyce Raley Teel’s wealth attained since 1973 was achieved under fraud and unjust enrichment from his services and expertise in the industry.

Raley’s has gone to great lengths to portray their success in an honorable way. They have influenced the news media to ignore this true story about our father who should have been given recognition for his outstanding and unparalleled accomplishments in Raley’s success that spills into every community they do business in. He is a local hero who has been made into that of a villain.

Now they are flaunting this fraud with their ill-gotten wealth by making extremely large donations to worthy causes with hope that it will overshadow this crime against our father. The most recent slap in our face is the $13 million dollar donation to the Crocker Art Museum for the new addition that will enable the Teel family to have this new building named “The Teel Family Pavilion.” That in itself should be considered a crime! The Sacramento City Council was made aware of this crime earlier this year(copy enclosed), and yet regardless to their awareness, the Teel’s were able to buy their name on the Crocker’s new wing.

This is just another disregard for justice for our family and if the City of Sacramento wants to honor the family whose entire wealth is founded on the fraud against our father then we will make sure that October 10th, 2010 is not just the “Grand Opening” of the new wing of the Teel Family Pavilion at the Crocker Art Museum, but a day of justice for our family. Justice our dad should have received, and was entitled to receive while he was alive, but denied by the wealth and so called power the Teel’s hold in this community.

We will not stop until the Teel’s resolve this issue and the Nordby family feels that justice has prevailed. We hope this doesn’t become a more confrontational issue before they come to their senses that will enable them to make moral and ethical decisions to settle this matter.
If you need to contact us please do so at: truth@hungry4justice.com

Sincerely.

The Family of Charles Nordby

Sources: Sacramento Superior Court case #544344, www.hungry4justice.com, www.raleysexposed.com,

Fair Use of new Crocker building from Group 10's website, Photo of Raley Field compliments of Frank Nordby, .

Is The Sacramento City Council Being "Greenwashed"? Part 1

2010-01-12T22:37:08Z

Let me clarify the newly coined term "greenwash". If whitewashing is to 'gloss over or cover up a crime or a scandal', then "greenwashing" would be the use of money in an attempt to gloss over or cover up a crime or scandal.

One year ago today on January 12th 2009, my friend and reporter Leann Lopez hand delivered nine letters with a "hungry4justice" card to the receptionist desk at City Hall. Mayor Kevin Johnson and all off the other city council members should have personally received their copy. Maybe the City Council didn't think this issue was important enough or they didn't want to believe this story to be true because Leann did not get one response by phone call or email about the information she was providing to them.

In her letter she was informing the City Council about the quest for justice our family was seeking against Raley's operators and owners Jim and Joyce Raley Teel for the fraud that was perpetrated against our father. The following is the actual letter she sent to all of the members of the Sacramento City Council. This letter is used by permission and is now public information. Leann's phone number has been hidden for her protection. In the next article you will read why this letter is so significant and determine for yourself if it appears that the Teel's are just "greenwashing" the community with their money.

Leann Lopez
The Sacramento Reporter
Sacramento, CA 95814
sacreporter@live.com

916 ###-####
January 12, 2009

Dear Mayor Kevin Johnson,

I am a native Californian and have lived most of my life in the Sacramento area. A couple of years ago I became acquainted with a family with an incredible story. This story was so unbelievable that I had to investigate it myself to prove it to be true or false.

This family has been seeking justice for their deceased father for over seventeen years and they won’t stop until they get it, as well as the recognition their father deserves for the contributions he has made to Sacramento and all of California. I realize that you are a very busy Mayor with many decisions to make, but I think once you hear this story you as well will want to see justice for this family.

The accompanying postcard is a brief explanation of the story and mentions some of those involved. I convinced the family to make you aware of this campaign so that when you see and hear things concerning this story you won’t be surprised and simply cast it off. Below is an email from a very prominent newspaper reporter in Sacramento. She had to turn down reporting their story for fear of losing her job, but her words tell it all:

“I hope that you find a way to get the story told. It is a compelling story but as I previously said, most people in Sacramento have too much to lose given the size, scope and far-reaching tentacles of the Raley's family. I still think it needs to be a book and not done by a newspaper - a newspaper would and/or could lose all of their advertisers. A newspaper …could be shut down in one day by Raley's. Take Care,”

Mayor Johnson if nothing else, familiarize your self with this story and support this family in their quest. To me this is a typical story of those who have lost a loved one to a crime and cannot get justice. Those who committed this crime have used their money and influence to pervert justice.

It’s heartbreaking to know that Charles Nordby, the man that made these criminals rich and influential, wasn’t able to receive justice before he passed away. However, the family of Charles Nordby is dedicated to continue his fight for justice just as he dedicated his life pursuing justice for others.

Thank you for your time,

Leann Lopez

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
Martin Luther King Jr.

Sources: Superior Court Case 544344, www.hungry4justice.com, www.raleysexposed.com,

"NewsFlash" Mike Teel takes the helm at Raley's as CEO

2010-01-07T01:54:51Z

I just went to the Sacbee website and sure enough, Mike Teel was made CEO of Raley's. Now lets see what

happens to the Good Eats place.

Is It Good Bye to Good Eats?

2010-01-07T01:36:35Z

I walked into the Pete's coffee shop at Alhambra and Folsom Blvd on Saturday afternoon and saw a friendly familiar face that I recognized. It was none other than Sac Press' Editor in Chief David Barton just enjoying life with a cup of something and a newspaper(of course). I re-introduced myself to him and sat down with my coffee at a table across the room. I really wanted to talk "news" with him but I didn't want to interrupt his down time.

As I sat there at my table enjoying that great Pete's coffee, I found myself looking at the building that is kitty-corner from Pete's. It is the old Andiamo restaurant that has been recently updated. This was suppose to be the site of the Good Eats Grocer? Whatever happened to the Good Eats place? A couple of weeks ago I went to the Good Eats offices on 20th Street to ask Mike Teel some questions. He wasn’t there and the very sweet gal at the desk said that he doesn’t hardly ever come into the office. I went ahead and left my name and number with her to have Teel give me a call but I never heard back from him. I decided to do some research because I am sure there are people who want to know whatever happened to the grandiose company started by Mike Teel, son of Jim and Joyce Raley Teel.

Information dated July 28, 2008 on the Good Eats Grocer website states : "Good Eats Grocer, Inc., a local start-up enterprise based in Sacramento, has begun the renovation and construction its first location at the 3145 Folsom Boulevard site, the former Andiamo Restaurant and Rosemont Grille. Good Eats Kitchen Bar & Grille, a distinctive new offering in the East Sacramento restaurant-scape, is slated for a year-end 2008 opening."
Wait a minute. Did that say year-end 2008? I have never seen a small business take almost two years to build, even from the ground up. What is taking so long to get this business open?

I think troubles started at Good Eats when it appeared that Mike Teel underhandedly tried to force Darrel Corti out of his longtime location at 5810 Folsom Blvd by covertly striking a deal with Corti's landlord to lease his location right out from under him. According to the Sacwiki website it stated: "The landlord realized Good Eats was willing to pay twice the rent that Corti Brothers pays so the landlord decided to terminate the Corti Brothers lease."

When I did a Google search for "Good Eats Corti Brothers", one listing took me straight to "Good Eats" web page that had this posted: "Meals prepared fresh daily at the Good Eats Kitchen will be available for dine in, take out and will also be sold through Good Eats Grocer stores as early as next Summer when the company opens its first market location at 5810 Folsom Blvd." Even with the uproar of the community at the bad taste of the Mike Teel's/Good Eats business fiasco, they still have on their web site they are moving into the Corti Bros location at 5810 Folsom Blvd.

Instead of trying to find another location locally, the Good Eats gang fled to Phoenix Arizona to open their first Good Eats Grocery store/ restaurant. Perhaps that was a good idea so that they could do a test market 800 miles away. I guess if people in a struggling economy are not ready for overpriced food in a fancy environment, testing your concept far-far away where your family, friends and critics are not watching is a smart business idea. I will give Teel credit for that. I just feel horrible for the others he took with him to wander out in the desert.

Testing your concept market that is sandwiched and surrounded by stores like the Sacramento Food Co-op, Corti Brothers, Safeway and countless other fast food chains, you are bound to have to rethink your business plan really fast. Maybe even before you open your doors.

In October (09) the Sacramento Bee reported that Julie Rollofson was the new CEO of Good Eats and she was also Teel's fiancé. After doing some checking at the CA Secretary of State's Office, Good Eats Grocer filed in November (after the October Bob Shallit article in The Bee) corporation papers showing Teel as CEO, Rollofson Secretary and Robert Teel as COO, and all listing addresses owned by Mike Teel or the Teel family trust. Is that just bad reporting on the Bee's part or did Mike just tell Julie she was CEO to make her feel important and so he could get some? Probably both!

The Bee should investigate the facts before it publishes a story unless it is just a “puppet paper” for Raley’s and the Teel’s and has to print whatever they are told to print. It seems like they are because every time we read something about Raley’s or the Teel’s, the information is not always supported by provable facts.

The Shallit article in October also stated this new Good Eats would be opening in January of this new year and may have been printed to convince Bee readers things are running smooth for Teel and his new fiancé.

Then it started to occur to me that maybe Bob Shallit's article in October was just a set-up article for Teel to make it appear like things are moving along just fine with the grand opening set for January and all along knowing that mom and dad are also setting it up for him to become Raley's CEO. What timing for Raley's to announce in The Bee at the end of October that Bill Coyne (personal friend of Mike Teel) had abruptly quit his position as the CEO of Raley's.

After looking at Teel's business history, he cannot afford to have one more black mark on his résumé. In my opinion, It might be best if Teel's mom and dad give him the CEO position at Raley's "once again" so that he can avoid having to face the embarrassment of another losing business venture. This one being Good Eats. Who will say anything if Rollofson has to take the fall with it? Would even Mike Teel do that to his fiancé? Maybe Teel has plans for her at Raley's if he becomes Raley's CEO?

When I drove around the street I noticed that the sign that once announced the “Coming Soon” is now laying against the dumpster across the street from the unsigned and unused store. Perhaps it is just a matter of time before the coming soon sign and the store idea are both cast by the wayside. A store idea maybe ahead of its time. The same excuse Raley's gave for its failing "Miracle Mart" stores back in the '60s.

Something seems kind of fishy about all the hoopla The Bee gave Mike Teel and the four or five Good Eats eateries that would soon open up in the Sacramento area. I bet other legitimate small businesses locally would appreciate the kind of attention The Bee gave Teel.

Maybe Teel was also looking for investors(including his mom and dad) to jump into his new business venture and when he found none he decided it was time for him to jump out too. In my opinion the smartest jump he has ever made. The negative publicity and community disdain he and Good Eats got from the Corti shenanigan they tried to pull probably sealed their coffin on any investors possibly interested in this as an investment.

How does Good Eats identify its kind of business with the Secretary of State's Office? Retail or Restaurant? No, it is listed as an "Investment Business." At the rate Good Eats is going, maybe all of Mike Teel’s investment businesses are all long term investments, very long term.

I have been dying for Good Eats for quite some time. I just don’t want to die holding my breath waiting for it. Maybe Jim and Joyce Teel will go ahead and decide to open it up in spite of this article. It is Good Eats or good ridden? Either way I feel it is a win-win situation.

Raley's Incites the $100,000 Reward? Part 3

2009-11-24T04:02:46Z

When homeless looking man Frank Nordby realized that if what he believed was true, then an incredible injustice had taken place. He felt if a billion dollars could create this horrible injustice maybe it's possible to tip the scales of justice with a little incentive for anyone who would be willing to investigate his story and prove him wrong. So with the David vs Goliath state of mind, Frank began offering a $100,000 dollar reward in his quest for the truth. All anyone had to do was disprove with evidence the following claim by our father Charles Nordby:

"I saved Tom Raley's company from going bankrupt"

A simple claim with a very hard answer. Because if he did save the Raley's company, then Charles Nordby is a hometown hero who has been treated like a villian. When you consider all of the people, families, companies, communities and on and on that have benefited from Raley's since 1973, he has made a tremendous contribution without any acknowlegement, publically or financially. Like I mentioned before in a previous segment, which is an incredible fact, and that is Tom Raley didn't even know him. And why didn't Tom Raley know Charles Nordby?

This is what I know: There are two people in Sacramento who should have the ability to produce the evidence necessary to disprove Charles Nordby and silence this story, but they can't. Those two people are Jim and Joyce Raley Teel. They have access to all the financial records of Tom Raley(unless they have been shredded already). All they have to prove is Tom's financial condition in 1973. If Tom Raley had plenty of money in 1973, then Charles Nordby didn't need to save his company and no turnaround would have been necessary. But even Raley's own history book states that 1973 was the year of the "turnaround". That was the same year that Nordby came to Raley's. Mere coincident? Not likely!

Recently I received a nice email from Casey Kirk at the SacPress, and I was graciously warned that if the story about my father and Raley’s went into the “dangerous territory of libel," it would be pulled. And it should be if it is libelous. Then she wrote this "We have consulted two journalism professors at CSUS who specialize in media law and have been told that so far the stories seem safe, but they do have the potential to go that route."

I appreciate The Sacramento Press' precautions and we are well aware of the dangers of libel, but since our family has been telling this never changing story for over 18 years now, we are very careful to speak and write only what we know to be true or our expressed opinions.

After I read their email and I became aware of their concern, I remembered the April 2nd, 1991 letter Charles Collings (Raley's president) wrote to my brother Frank stating the following:

"I am telling you that the story you are trying to spread about Raley's is inaccurate and could be damaging. Now that you know, if you choose to continue to spread falsehoods, I suggest that you get an attorney, you will need one."

Wow, what a powerhouse threat from the man and the company of Sacramento's big local success story.....Raley's. That threat was made over 18 years ago. Since then we have spent thousands of hours and dollars investigating Tom Raley, Raley’s, Chuck Collings, the Teel’s and others.

We searched through archived newspapers, public records of Raley’s finances which also include divorce proceedings, tax delinquency files, stock issuances, assessor’s filings, as well as police and criminal records just for the fun of it. We knew if for some reason our investigation was not complete or accurate, we would never be able to prove our father’s story and we would also run the risk of having to face Raley’s in a court of law where we would have no chance against this uncircumcised giant.

One of the greatest sources of evidence that we found was their own history book of Tom Raley’s success story. It is called "Raley's, A Family Store". That book was freely given to all of Raley’s employees in 1990 of which I was one. I don’t think they thought that an employee of over ten years would read this book and begin questioning their so-called actual and factual account of their success story.

It was within their own pages of their own book that we discovered events, timelines, quotes and even important omissions that gave us what we needed to prove our father’s story. All of the information from other investigated documents were like little pieces of the big puzzle, and like shavings of chocolate sprinkled on the icing of a cake. Yes, I enjoy chocolate.

In the 1980’s, the Proctor and Gamble company and its logo with the man, the stars and the moon was subjected to many rumors that the company was somehow related to Satanic worship. Since the rumors were untrue and damaging to the company’s clean image(no pun intended, okay there was), the P&G company sought after every individual as well as groups who were creating and spreading the negative publicity and ferociously pursued them in the court of law to stop the libelous and damaging accusations against them.

I say all that to say this. In the last 18 years of our family promoting the true Tom Raley success story that is really Charles Nordby‘s success story, there has never been any opposition from Raley’s or Jim and Joyce Raley Teel, the two people who could have protected Tom Raley's name, reputation and legacy if it were possible. If they had any evidence to disprove Charles Nordby's claims, they could have claimed the $100,000 reward and given it to a charity of their choice.

Eighteen years later my brother Frank continues to speak the truth. His animated website, with all of its bells and whistles reminds me of Jim Cramers show "Mad Money", except Franks website is all about fraud money and should have been voted "Best of Sacramento" for a fun, zany, educational and news worthy website. Frank will never get a "Sacramento's Best" for his website because Mike O'brien from the Sacramento Magazine doesn't want to believe that this is a true story. A woman sent him an email and asked him about the Charles Nordby story. Here is what Mike wrote to her in reply:

"We have gotten rambling notes from the person you reference for years, as have many media. We considered his diatribes years ago and found the specific charges meaningless."

Mike O'brien should think before he speaks or writes emails. Charles Nordby died over 13 years ago. How could have Mike got any "rambling" notes from Charles Nordby. Maybe Mike is passing notes with the dead. Is this a little paranormal activity going on here? Maybe Mike should get one of his magazines "Sacramento's Best" for "Foot in Mouth".

Anyways, Franks website has been online since 2003 and has nearly 1/2 million page views and he is still waiting for Chuck Collings, Jim and Joyce Teel and Raley's to settle this matter. In fact, Frank is still waiting for Collings to follow through with Raley's threat of legal action made towards him on April 2, 1991 when Collings wrote he would need an attorney if he was to continue spreading falsehoods.

I am glad that the SacPress editorial staff is reading the articles and questioning the credibility of its writers, just in case the stories appear to be too incredible. Especially an unheard of story like this one that involves the wealthiest people in Sacramento and the company that they own.

The $100,000 reward that is being offered has been available for almost five years now and was initially offered to journalist and the news media as a lure to find someone who would be willing to grab this story by the balls and investigate it. We wanted an outsider to either come to the same conclusion that we have or be able to gather evidence that would prove otherwise. We just wanted the truth. Not one reporter ever approached us about trying to disprove the story. Maybe they were told or knew it was a true story that could not be disputed. Or, maybe they were told not to by their superiors where they worked. Watch the YouTube journalist invite listed at the bottom of the page.

Raley’s attorney’s perverted and corrupted justice in this matter. They prevented our father from getting his day in court which would have proven his story and his claims that every penny of profit that Raley’s has made since he came on board with them in 1973 was money made from his program. He made them billionaires and they used ill-gotten gains to make sure he didn’t get his day in court.

Charles Nordby died in the midst of dragging them into the courts. It is our opinion his death could be attributed partially to the stress he endured while fighting corrupted legal paperwork from attorneys Peter Glick and Robert Strauch. And the only person who ever faced him in court was a very red faced woman named Kimberly Peterson acting on behalf of Peter Glick. We are still trying to investigate if she was even an attorney at the time of her courtroom appearance or just an office girl.

One of the most incredible facts about this whole story is this: Here we are 18 years after we first discovered many careless errors in the Raley’s history book that simply did not make any sense, and they are still holding on to their facade. Everyone who hears this story says to us “why don’t they (Raley’s) just settle with your family?” One possible reason is, they may think they will have to admit they commited a crime against our father. Or maybe they think because they are billionaires, they don't have to answer to anyone.

Most people who get got stealing normally end up paying restitution to the victim for their crime. Wealthy people generally don’t care about doing the right thing unless they are caught and forced by the law to do so. For them, stealing from Charles Nordby and his family, then taking credit for his legacy is all part of their American dream which is not a dream at all.

I feel for all the Raley/Teel family members who have had to live with this story hanging over their heads. Nobody but Jim and Joyce Teel, Chuck Collings and Frank McMinn knew anything about it. The rest of the family had no idea what our father was doing for grandpa Tom, but neither did Tom. So when this story began breaking in 1991 it must have been a horrible horrible shock to the Raley family, but especially to the three men listed above because they were the ones personally involved in what Charles Nordby was doing.

I believe as long as there is life, it is never too late to do the right thing. I don't know why Jim and Joyce don't want to resolve this for their children and grandchildrens sake?

Coming up in future segments: Read the crucial part played by the Sacramento Bee, my meetings with Mike Teel and then Jim Teel that almost erupted into a brawl. Also, the legal shenanigans of Raley's attorneys at Downey, Brand Seymour and Rowher….. and how Judge Joe Gray in our opinion is either a very stupid judge, jaded or perhaps even paid off.

Sources: Photo of 1st Store Courtesy of the El Dorado County Museum www.hungry4justice.com www.raleysexposed.com Raley's: A Family Store http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrsG_kNeGXg

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

2009-11-03T07:41:30Z

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Homeless Looking Man offers a $100,000 Reward

2009-11-01T05:11:32Z

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A portrait of Autumn Sky

2009-09-26T03:46:25Z

Most 20-year-olds don't play over 15 instruments or write three songs per week. Nor have they traveled and lived all over the United States. But Sacramento musician Autumn Sky didn't grow up in a so-called "normal" household.

Having played hundreds of shows, the ambitious Sky is on the rise.

Sky (she uses her middle name instead of her last name, Hall) was born in Paradise, Calif. She and her family lived out of a Volkswagen Beetle near Puget Sound in Washington and spent time in Oregon and Wisconson before settling in Sacramento.

She also recalled living in a log cabin in Mendocino as part of a nudist colony.

"There is a whole [photo] album that my parents have and it's all these babies and families just hanging around, only wearing tool belts," Sky said, with a hint of dry humor. "The sad thing is that people who live in nudist colonies are not the people you want to see nude."

Another thing that sets Sky's family apart is that they are high on the autism spectrum. Her father has Asperger's. She is the oldest of seven, with brothers and sisters who also have autism, Asperger's and dyslexia, she said.

"All of those disorders are blessings. There's so much of a stigma [but] I think it makes us all really cool," Sky said. "My autistic brothers are the sweetest people in the world."

It's hard to imagine Sky's colorful background when face-to-face with her. She wears girly dresses, reads poetry (e.e. cummings is her favorite poet) and once worked at Starbucks, she said.

Sky is currently on hiatus from jazz classes at American River College, works at Raley's during the day and admits a guilty pleasure: listening to pop musician/actress Mandy Moore.

Her hobbies include painting and writing and illustrating her own children's books. When she was younger, she had stage fright, and aspired to to be a journalist and author as a creative outlet.

Sky was introduced to music growing up around a grandmother who played piano and a mother who played both piano and violin and sang. She started taking piano lessons from her mother at age 6, then moved to violin at 11.

As a young teenager, Sky started doing open mic nights at her church, but she soon found her niche after moving on to the True Love Coffeehouse, as well as the Fox and Goose pub. "I used to do five open mics a week," Sky said, adding that she gained a sense of friendship among open mic performers.

"What else was I supposed to do?" she added. "Performing is so much fun for me, and it brings me so much joy to bring other people so much joy; it's extremely therapeutic."

"[Sacramento's music scene] is vastly underrated; there's so much potential," she said. "In L.A. I would be a folk singer among 500 others. It's very good for me to be in a place like this. I feel like [people] really cherish the music that comes out of here."

She released an EP, Diminutive Petite in 2008, and a friend from church helped Sky finance and produce her first album All Which Isn't Singing earlier this year. She made the album with most of the Sacramento band All on Seven backing her, creating an upbeat blend of pop, folk, and rock.

Sky is currently working on a follow-up album and is in talks with a label to have it released by next spring. "It has a '60s sound mixed with Tim Burton and Sunshine Pop," she said. If all goes according to plan, she will also be touring the Northwest in the upcoming months, she said.

Sky will be playing at Club Retro, 6521 Hazel Ave., Orangevale, on Saturday at 8 p.m. One can also see her play during her 11 Sacramento-area shows scheduled in October.

She will soon make her journalist aspiration a reality by previewing some of her own shows, here, at The Sacramento Press.

Photographs credit Caitlin Bellah/Autumn Sky

Sacramento Opera going strong

2009-08-01T02:59:58Z

One local arts organization not in need of financial aid is The Sacramento Opera.

In the 2008-2009 season it not only ended the year in the black, but the organization eliminated all its debt, exceeded its budget goal and grew its ticket sales by nearly 38 percent.

After disappointing ticket sales in 2008, the opera was fortunate to have extra income contributed from private donors such as the Mildred Reis Estate and other corporate sponsors such as Raley's and Marriott. The organization also paid back a city loan incurred in 1992.

Attendance for the season's four feature shows totaled 17,414, while the community programs saw an all-time high in participation with 6,152 audience members. All shows were held at the Community Center Theater, which seats 2,398.

"We were just very fortunate," said Executive Director of the opera Rod Gideons. The success was based on two major things, he said: partly the popularity of the music performed, and also the strength of the social media marketing.

The two popular shows that sold the most tickets were The Marriage of Figaro and The Pirates of Penzance, Gideon said. He also noted that the Opera's Facebook and Twitter websites had more than 1,000 followers combined.

"After everything is said and done, you have to have control of your budget," Gideon added. "If there's anything we've accomplished, it's that we've tightly controlled our expenses."

Single tickets for the Sacramento Opera's 2009-2010 season are currently on sale. Prices range from $18 to $130.

The following is taken from a press release containing information about The Sacramento Opera's upcoming season:

The Elixir of Love is Gaetano Donizetti’s comic and wistful look at the foibles of young love and the misguided belief that true love can be bought in a bottle.

Show times are at 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, 2009, 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009 and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009.

The Sacramento Opera will update this gem of the bel canto repertoire to post-World War II in a small town in Northern California’s wine country. The Elixir of Love is a timeless view of passion and longing, pathos and youthful exuberance. Be sure to listen for the famous aria, "Una Furtiva Lagrima."

La Traviata is Giuseppe Verdi's gripping melodrama based on the novel and play La Dame aux Camélias by Alexandre Dumas, Jr. La Traviata is one of the 10 most popular operas in the repertoire.

Show times are at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26, Sunday, 2 p.m. Feb. 28 and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 2.

The story was immortalized in the classic movie Camille starring Greta Garbo and later given a popular update in Pretty Woman starring Julia Roberts. Listen for the famous “Drinking Song” and "Sempre Libera" aria. The story revolves around the relationship between a stunningly beautiful but frail courtesan and her well-born lover. Don’t miss this romantic tale of love, passion and betrayal.

A Russian Affair: Highlights from Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin and The Queen of Spades is opera at its grandest in a Russian double-bill featuring concert stagings of two of Tchaikovsky’s greatest works, both based on the writings of one of Russia’s most acclaimed writers, Alexander Pushkin.

Show times are at 8 p.m. Friday, May 7 and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 9

This production features Tchaikovsky’s stunning music for the lyric stage performed by a cast of acclaimed singers. Eugene Onegin gives us a glimpse of life among St. Petersburg’s wealthy in the 1820s, capturing the essence of a unique world in all its glory and despair. The operatic masterpiece of obsessive love and greed, The Queen of Spades follows an army officer who deviously learns the "secret of the three cards," which costs him his possessions, lover and ultimately his own life. Featured artists include Emily Pulley, Dana Beth Miller, Richard Crawley, Malcolm MacKenzie and Andrei Codrescu (narrator).

Season subscriptions are still available through the Sacramento Opera office, 737-1000. Season subscribers save up to 26 percent off single-ticket prices and receive priority seating, among other benefits.

*Photographs credit: Sacramento Opera/Eleakis Photography

Foodies and wine enthusiasts unite at Raley's 7th annual Grape Escape

2009-06-08T01:52:06Z

Foodies and wine enthusiasts united Saturday at Cesar Chavez Park for Raley's and Seventh Annual Grape Escape, presented by Raley's and Bel Air for an evening of drinking and munching.

For $40 in advance and $50 at the door, ticket-holders took part in a three-hour taste marathon, sampling cabs, chards and merlots from more than 50 top wineries from six counties in Northern California and gourmet appetizers from Sacramento’s favorite eateries.

Award-winning wineries like San Joaquin’s Van Ruiten winery (voted Wall Street Journal’s Best Zin) and Calaveras County’s Twisted Oak winery (Gold Medal winner from the Riverside International Wine Competition) set up shop along with brewery favorites Hoppy Brewing Company and Pyramid Alehouse.

“Wonderful wines, coupled with great bites, made for a fun social outing. The weather was perfect, the vendors all very fun and upbeat, and the crowd was amazingly large. I look forward to next year's event,” said Lori Moody, who attended the Grape Escape.

Tried and true eateries served up menu samplings like Zocalo’s shredded pork and salsa, Mikuni’s popular Fair Oaks Roll and Ruth’s Chris new cold crab and asparagus summer menu offering.

Up-and-coming businesses like Pearl on the River and recently opened de Vere's Irish Pub and Mix Downtown used the event as an opportunity to plant their name in the brains of potential customers.

“We’re thrilled with the attendance and even more thrilled with the weather,” said Sheri Graciano, volunteer coordinator for the event, in reference to the clear skies and cool temperatures that made for perfect weather for the outdoor event.

While somewhat long lines formed at popular booths like Chipotle, P.F. Changs and Barefoot Wine Cellars, the park wasn’t overwhelmingly crowded and the well-organized event kept glasses filled and plates full in an orderly fashion.

Graciano explained that one of the reasons for the smooth flow of foot traffic was Raley’s V.I.P. entrance offered to its wine club members this year, which allowed a large portion of the crowd to enter an hour early.

Despite the numerous food and wine offerings, the majority of the excitement took place during the Chef’s Challenge, presented by the Institute of Technology and emceed by Mark S Allen.

Each chef was given a basket of fresh ingredients and a half hour to whip up a gourmet dish. The first round was a face-off between Grange’s Michael Tuohy and L Wine Lounge’s Ame Harrington. The second round featured Mason’s John Gurnee and Mikuni & Taro’s Taro himself.

The action culminated in a final championship round, where Harrington took first place and second place went to Taro.

Next to the stage, the Institute set up a buffet line with creations by their own skilled students with concoctions like bacon-wrapped almond rolls, pork bruschetta and blue cheese wraps.

A full range of culture was featured at the event with art for sale and on display from Patris, owner of Patris Art Center, and artists from the Capitol Art Center at S12. Makeshift music stages were set up as well featuring up-and-coming local music artists like jazz singers Jackie Bryant and Marcelle.

As 7 o' clock rolled around, the food was devoured and the wineries' bottles were emptied within the three-hour span. However, no one was left empty-handed.

Not only did each ticket-holder receive a complimentary Raley’s wine glass and many coupons for discounts on wine, but many also took home cans of garlic-seasoned olives from Lindsay Snackers, pineapples and watermelons from Raley’s disassembled display, wine openers and back issues of Sacramento Magazine, which also sponsored the event.

A great time was had by all, judging from the smiles underneath their wine mustaches.

For a complete list of wineries, restaurants and artists that participated in the Grape Escape, visit raleysgrapescape.com.

All images taken by Jonathan Mendick

Crazy "cool" events this weekend!!

2009-06-04T22:47:02Z

I can honestly say that I am proud to be a Sacramentan. Even more so since I began working on the events calendar for Sacramento at the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau! I have pretty much lived in the Sacramento area my whole life and never before did I realize that there are so many things going on- all the time! This weekend is packed full of Festivals, fundraisers, music & theatre and hopefully by reading this you are prompted to get out and have some fun! And please do note that there are many more things happening that I may not have mentioned...in order to keep these articles concise, I narrow them down to a few events. Feel free to add events in the Comment section at the bottom of the page if you would like to mention one I didn't add. Happy galavanting...

Thursday 6.4

Comedy: Paul Mecurio w/ Jason Downs & Laura Rosenberg -- $6/$4/$3
Where: Punch Line Comedy Club
When: 8:30pm (Showing thru June 7th-also @ 10:00pm Sat&Sun)
Why: He was a writer for the Daily Show with John Stewart. Not sure if he really needs more credits but heres a few others: Comedy Central Presents, The Late, Late Show with Craig Kilborn, Late Night w/Conan O’Brien, Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, Dr. Katz, NBC’s Late Friday…must be a pretty funny guy!
Details

Art: Sew What? Fashion Show--
Where: Social Nightclub
When: 7pm
Why: Local fashion from Gianna Couture, Marianno Ratto, Stephanie Lozano & more! Hair will be done by Suede Salon.
Details

Theatre: Hedwig and the Angry Inch -- $18-25
Where: Artisan Theatre
When: 8:00pm (Showing thru June 27th)
Why: This is New Helvetia Theatre Company’s first production at the beautiful Artisan Gallery on Del Paso Blvd. New Helvetia is rethinking theatre in Sacramento. Their goal is to “rediscover forgotten gems of the American Musical while re-examining classic musicals and plays”. Directed by Matthew Schneider, Hedwig is about a fictional rock and roll band fronted by an East German transgendered singer. This musical has become somewhat of a cult classic similar to The Rocky Horror Picture Show with a devoted following.
Details

Friday 6.5

Food & Wine: 7th Annual Celebrity Chef Challenge--$50 advance/$60 at the door
Where: California Auto Museum (formerly Towe)
When: 5:30-9:30
Why: Ladies & Gentlemen start your engines & drive on down to the 2009 Celebrity Chef Challenge!! Ride along side event emcees Edie Lambert of KCRA Channel 3 & Dennis Mangers of Darrell Steinberg's Office & your favorite local chefs as they whisk past the competition at the 7th annual Celebrity Chef Challenge.
Competitors will have 45 minutes to turn 5 secret ingredients into 3 power packed dishes right in front of your eyes!!! Fans will be treated to a VIP Food Show, Hosted Beer and Wine, Silent Auction, Raffle & 72,000 square feet of automotive excellence! And the Celebrity Judges are...Guy Farris & Melissa Crowley of Sacramento & Co. & Former State Assembly member Lloyd Levine, New This Year!!!
The finest culinary competition on the West Coast just got a little finer with the addition of the 1st Annual InAlliance Car Show that welcomes all makes and models!
Details

Music: Bucho! at Concert in the Park-- Free
Where: Cesar Chavez Park
When: 5pm-9pm
Why: Free music and family fun! In addition to Bucho, Righteous Movement & Happy Mayfield will be there too. Get there early and bring a blanket to check out the show. The beer garden gets really packed after awhile so its best to get there early- buy two while you’re at it to make it last longer. I haven’t tried the food but there are a bunch of options for eats if you’re hungry too. Afterward, your bracelet can score you discounts a local restaurants and bars.
Details

Music: Freekbass-- $15
Where: Marilyn’s on K (St)
When: 9:00pm
Why: The guys name is really Freekbass. Or at least that’s what he goes by. He studied bass at Cincinnati's School for the Creative and Performing Arts and never looked back. Influenced by the likes of Larry Graham, Sly Stone, Stevie Wonder, Parliament and Bootsy, you may expect this show to have some funk! Along with Freekbass the band consists of a guitarist, drummer and turntablist. Sounds like a show!
Details

Saturday 6.6

Food & Wine: 7th Annual Raley’s Grape Escape -- $40 advance/$50 day of
Where: Cesar Chavez Plaza
When: 4pm-7pm
Why: If you like to mingle with friends and meet new ones while sipping on wines and tasting delicious food from local restaurants all while enjoying the sounds of live Jazz…you gotta check this event out! Over 60 wineries (= 200+wines!) and 40+ restaurants will be serving up tastes of their yummy goods for you to enjoy. There’s also a “Chef's Challenge” presented by the Institute of Technology where 4 local chef’s will compete in two rounds to win. They get 25 minutes and a market basket of fresh produce and a cut of meat to come up with the winning recipe.
Details

Festival: Sierra Stampede Rodeo & Festival -- $10 ($25 for weekend pass)
Where: Central Park Horse Arena
When: 8am (Sat & Sun)
Why: If you've never been to a gay rodeo before, you don't want to miss Steer Deco, Goat Dressing or Wild Drag Race…this amateur rodeo attracts cowboys & cowgirls from across the United States! There'll be horse events, roping, steers, and bulls. The Festival's vendor area will include a beer garden, entertainment food & goodies for sale. Rodeo proceeds benefit Saddle Pals, a division of United Cerebral Palsy that uses horses for therapy. This event is brought to Sacramento and produced by Capital Crossroads Gay Rodeo Association. In addition to the rodeo, there will be kickoff events Thursday & Friday nights and afterparties both Sat & Sunday- A whole weekend of same-sex fun!
Details

Music: Jackie Greene in Concert-- $25 advance/$30 at door (subject to availability)
Where: Fairytale town
When: 6pm-10pm
Why: In celebration of Fairytale Towns 50th Anniversary of bringing “musical merriment” and wholesome family fun to Sacramento Jackie Greene and AKALive will be playing on the Mother Goose Stage. Your ticket is for the music only, however, there will be food & drinks available for purchase. This is a great night to bring the kids out- fun for the whole family! Kids can play and adults can enjoy some great music at the same time.
Details

Family: Pops in The Park Concert Series Kickoff-- $Free
Where: East Portal Park
When: 6pm
Why: The Q-Balls will be entertaining the friends & families out this week at East Portal Park. This six man band plays covers of music from the 60’s-80’s- fun, upbeat music great for both kids & adults. Deidre Fitzpatrick from KCRA3 will be the emcee. More than just a fun night out, Pops in the Park raises money for our under-funded neighborhood parks. Since 1995, proceeds from sponsorship, advertising, as well as the food & beverages sales during the events have been used to enhance our neighborhood parks, bring improvements to the neighborhood, provide youth athletic scholarships and make these events possible. Feel free to bring your own food & drink but do know that if you buy there, your money spent is going to a good cause.
Details

Sunday 6.7

Festival: Fiesta Filipino & Health Fair -- $Free
Where: Jose Rizal Community Center
When: 10am-5pm
Why: The Fiesta Filipino is an annual free event that attracts up to 6,000 people from all over Sacramento and surrounding counties. The event features all-day entertainment, food vendors, arts & crafts, local businesses, career fair and a health fair. Community-based health organizations participate in the health fair and offer various health services to the fair-goers for free.
Details: http://www.sacramento365.com/event/detail/38063

Music: Sunday Jazz Concerts in the Park -- $Free
Where: Grant Park
When: 6pm-8pm
Why: The sounds of Jazz are magical in the summer, especially when they are paired with Sacramento's beautiful parks! These concerts are brought to you by the Traditional Jazz Society of Sacramento and will be held at various parks located throughout Sacramento. Each concert will offer the community a chance to come together and listen to a musical form steeped in history and feature some of the best Jazz for miles. All entertainment is courtesy of the Sacramento Traditional Jazz Society, with children's activities provided by the Department of Parks and Recreation.
Details

Festival: Nike Women's Fitness Festival-- $35
Where: CA State Capitol Park
When: 8am~3pm
Why: Ladies only! This is the largest women’s only event in the region. My understanding is that men can participate, they just can’t compete. So fair game ladies! This event is designed to promote women's fitness and health, along with raising money for critical programs for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. There will be a timed-run for women and a non-timed run/walk for teams and families. Following the races, participants are welcome to listen to live music, visit booths that include salon services, check out the Nike expo, loosen your muscles with message therapists and much more!
Details

Sports&Rec: World Extreme Cagefighting-- $42.50+
Where: Arco Arena
When: 3pm
Why: Sacramento’s very own Urijah Faber, from Ultimate Fitness downtown, is going up against featherweight champion Mike Brown for the title. This is a rematch of their previous clash in 2008. Many claim this fight to be the most anticipated fight in WEC history. I am not much of a fight watcher (I’m a lover! Not a hater…) but I am a big supporter of local people doing big things. Urijah has really made a name for himself in the world of Cagefighting and is known around the world for his lighting-fast hand speed & strong takedowns. Good thing you don’t have to be tall for this sport!
Details

Keep in mind that all of these events and many more can can be found on Sacramento365.com, the year-round source for Sacramento events.

Raley Field- The High Cost of a Name

2009-02-18T02:03:02Z

Almost daily I drive within a visible range of the Sacramento River Cats playing field, also known as Raley Field. Although I have yet to attend an event there, I am hoping to make it to one this year. I recently began thinking back around the time when plans for this new stadium was still on the drawing boards and I recall that there was a big push and much hoopla to have the new stadium named after Thomas P. Raley, the founder of the Raley's supermarket chain. But the stadium was not named Thomas P. Raley Field like the proposals and all the news media stories reported, and it was not even named Raley's Field, but it was named Raley Field. Maybe I missed something, is this short for Thomas P. Raley? Or is it named like the street in North Sacramento called Raley Blvd? So what happened to the original proposed name of Thomas P. Raley Field?

I decided to do a little investigative research and I found a website that actually is the source for information concerning stadium and parks naming rights that details the length of the term and the cost of those naming rights to the company that wants to name it. There is a link to my source for this information at the end of this article.

Based on what I found at this website and much to my surprise, the Raley’s Supermarket chain agreed to pay $15 million dollars over twenty years to have the River Cats Triple A stadium named the Thomas P. Raley Field. In fact, this article reported: "The largest naming rights agreement is in Sacramento where the Class-AAA River Cats have a reported 20-year, $15 million agreement in place with Raley's Supermarkets."

Just eyeballing the numbers it looks like most of the other companies pay between $35,000-$300,000 per year on an average for naming rights. Raley’s pays $750,000 per year to name the stadium. But are they getting their money’s worth? They paid for the name “Thomas P. Raley Field” but only got “Raley Field”. What happened? Maybe word got out that Thomas P. Raley was not the man that everyone thought he was, and putting his name on a high profile public building was not in the best interest of the public nor of his family. (See: www.hungry4justice.com )

The mystery of Raley Field, (which was suppose to have been “Thomas P. Raley Field”), is a little less mysterious. And perhaps this will also solve the other mystery as to why Raley's is more overpriced than most. At Raley Field those ten letters cost $75,000 each per year. Someone has to pay for those overpriced letters, whether or not they like baseball.

If anyone has any other facts that might help clear this up, I am sure other readers are now wondering why the name did not go up as the plans and naming rights had intended. My source for naming rights is: www.namingrightsonline.com/probaseballnr.htm