Nearly seven months after a large stand of cottonwood trees were mistakenly removed from a former landfill site at Sutter’s Landing, the City Council approved a $200,000 plan to replace trees and vegetation to restore the site. “This was a bunch of lemons, and we really tried to make lemonade out of it,” City Councilman Kevin McCarty said just before the council voted unanimously to approve the plan. Nearly 200 cottonwood trees were removed from the city’s closed 28th Street landfill facility in September, disturbing the habitat of more than 100 species of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians that made their home in the area. The cost of replanting and restoring the site will top $11

Hot-pink neon sparkled once again on Del Paso Boulevard as Iceland celebrated a very special birthday:  seventy years of entertainment, hopes fostered and dreams achieved, and a well-deserved place among the cultural icons of Sacramento. But this birthday bash was much more than cake and candles.  An arsonist reduced the landmark ice rink to charred rubble in March 2010.  The roof caved in; the beautiful glass-brick façade was destroyed—and suddenly Sacramento’s ice skaters were homeless.  Through a heroic volunteer effort, the cleanup began immediately. Generations of skaters and their families, community groups, local businesses, and fans of the annual ice shows pitched in to help. 

This Halloween season, take a unique nighttime tour through the Old City Cemetery with nothing but a lantern to light the way through the maze of historic tombstones and wandering spirits. The annual Lantern Tours offer guests a special visit with Sacramento’s oldest residents. “Guests are led by a gas-lit lantern through the cemetery, and we stop to meet residents who are played by costumed docents,” said Old City Cemetery Committee Director Lynda Walls. Walls, who doubles as the official tour guide, said the stories are often told through skits. “It’s very entertaining. We try to have a sense of humor with the most respect,” she said. There is a palpable sense of history at the Old

 Stories flowed Sunday as people got down and dirty to help restore the Iceland ice skating rink. People shared memories of old times as they carried debris from the ice floor and helped to remove the wooden flooring around the rink. Sunday was the fourth day the owners of the rink have asked volunteers to help them clean. Terrie Kerth, granddaughter of the late Bill Kerth, who built the ice rink in 1940, said the response has been unbelievable. When the project began, she said, the debris on the rink was more than a foot tall. Now, it's almost cleared, and the old rink will survive with some leveling. The wooden floors are being torn out and replaced with concrete. More than 100 volunte

This Tuesday the City Council will recommend the preservation and restoration of the Fred Mayes Jewelers' Street Clock at the corner of 10th and J Street. With the efforts of both Greig Best (an interested citizen), the City's Historic Places Grant Program, Council Member Tretheway's office, and the Redevelopment Agency, designated funds will be used to restore this City designated Landmark. Its ownership will also be formally transferred to the City through the Department of Transportation since the street clock is located within the public right-of-way. The clock will be restored to the style as modified while at its' original K Street location by Tom Monk (the neon ring addition) befor

The amount of mopeds and scooters out on the roads these days in Sacramento, and really all over the U.S., has been steadily growing in the past few years. I would imagine that this is the most common they have been since the mid to late 70s. I have been watching it happen since about 2005 when I purchased the first moped I had ever even ridden. But even The Wall Street Journal is reporting about their increase in sales. The Wall Street Journal reports that “domestic sales of scooters have surged as budget- and environment-minded consumers look for relief from high pump prices and as more-appealing models come on the market.” Sales of scooters with engine sizes of 150CCs or less…have jump

As pleasant springtime weather becomes more and more common, many Sacramento residents head outside for relaxation and fun, especially to city waterways. This Friday, April 17, marks the begining of Creek Week, an event intended to make sure those waterways are still serviceable. Creek Week is an event sponsored and organized by the Sacramento Area Creeks Council, to draw attention to the condition of Sacramento's creeks. A week of activities, including tours of the Mather Field vernal pools and a "river-friendly" landscaping workshop, culminates in a day of volunteer cleanup work on Saturday, April 25. The Creeks Council emphasizes the benefits of well-maintained creeks, citing their us