It’s official. The Kings are staying, the Maloofs are out and Vivek Ranadivé is in. The Sacramento Kings are inviting fans out to Cesar Chavez Park on Thursday, May 22 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Mayor Kevin Johnson, current and former players, Slamson the mascot and prospective owner and TIBCO CEO Ranadive will be in attendance. The event will feature the Kings Dancers as well as live musical performers to celebrate the NBA’s decision to keep the Kings home. More information via Sacramento Bee available here. Are you excited about the Kings staying in town with new ownership and a downtown arena, or are you worried about the arena deal could mean for the city? Sound off below.  

A crosswalk in South Sacramento that activists and community members call dangerous won’t get a traffic light for another 25 years, but it could either be improved or eliminated altogether within the next few years, according to a city official. Public Works spokesperson Linda Tucker said that the city tracks data to identity which crosswalks needs improvement, and that the city's records do not indicate that the crosswalk at 58th and Fruitridge, where 16-year-old student Michelle Murigi lost her life last year, is dangerous. Murgi was a student at West Campus High School, which is two blocks from the intersection. "It is the only known fatality in the history of this crosswalk, but we u

One of Mexico's most iconic soccer players will soon be playing a match in Sacramento Sacramento Professional Soccer announced last week that Mexico’s Dorados de Sinaloa would be the opponents of English Premier League’s Norwich City Football Club for an exhibition game during Sacramento Soccer Day July 18 at Raley Field. Dorados de Sinaloa's star player is Cuauhtémoc Blanco, who U.S. soccer fans will know well from the many times he played against the U.S. NationalTteam and his stint in Major League Soccer with the Chicago Fire from 2007 to 2009. At 40 years old, Blanco doesn't have the legs he used to, but he has never been a physical player. Blanco moves intelligently on or off the b

This weekend, May 18-19, I stopped by Heart Boutique, located at 19th Street and Capitol Avenue in Midtown. I’ve been dying to do a shoot with this boutique simply for their amazing accessories, but their statement pieces are also stunning. I was such a huge fan of the knuckle rings they carry that I bought two, one with an all-seeing eye and the other with “love” in cursive! They have a ton of high-waisted shorts, too. The perfect combination Outfit 1: peachy pink embellished tank with cutout back, black high-waisted shorts with crotchet detail, elephant ring, all-seeing eye knuckle ring, “love” knuckle ring, peace sign knuckle ring and black infinity bangle from Heart Boutique. Shoes

If you are staying around town this Memorial Day Weekend, you're in luck: there's plenty afoot. From honoring our troops (as the day is originally intended) to simply taking advantage of your extra day off, you'll be able to have all sorts of fun in Sacramento this weekend. In addition to the events below, find even more in Sacramento365.com's Holiday Events section or do a quick date search for the weekend to see an even wider variety of activities. Festivals galore: Sacramento County Fair: Cal Expo; Thurs-Sun 10am-10pm; Mon 10am-7pm: Enjoy the friendly atmosphere, traditional county fair competitions, agriculture displays, hands-on family activities, carnival, festival-style enterta

This past Saturday, May 18, I went to view Richard Hallmarq’s ready-to-wear collection at The Park Ultra Lounge. It was exciting to see someone who’s from Sacramento (he attended John F. Kennedy High School) flourish in the fashion world. Before we viewed his collection, he made an inspiring speech showing that hard work really does pay off. I could see that all the love and time he put in was definitely reflected in his sexy collection of evening wear for women. Hallmarq also talked about his experience on “Project Runway” and how it helped him develop as a designer. He realized men’s wear was not his specialty and he laughed about it. I really admired that. Most of the time when I fail i

    Last Thursday, May 16, Pepper played for a sold-out show at Ace of Spades here in Sacramento. The band decided to shake things up a little bit, and played the entire show solo, with no opening acts. Pepper came to the stage with high energy and good vibes as they played some of the fan favorites, as well as four brand-new songs off their upcoming self-titled album.      Though some in the crowd got a little rowdy, Pepper kept a positive attitude throughout the night, and kept the crowd entertained and lively.  

SacTV.com has created a new section of art gallery videos made during Second Saturday Art Walk this year from March, April and May. This page brings together local painters and gallery owners who discuss the art they showcase on Second Saturday. This page presents a wide variety of local paintings and photography that span from portraits to posters to landscapes to surrealism. It also brings together eye-catching art that represents some of Sacramento's most talented artists. These art gallery videos can be found by going to SacTV.com and clicking the "art" icon. More Second Saturday videos will be added to this 2013 page as the year goes on.  Some of the art that has been featured during

We’re trying something a little different here at The Sac Press. Welcome to See Sacramento – one week in Sacramento, seen through the eyes of a local resident just like you. Each week we’ll hand over The Sac Press Instagram account (@sacramentopress). You can follow along by looking for photos with the hashtag #seesacramento posted from our account. Then we’ll post the highlights, along with a brief Q&A, the following week. We’re kicking things off with Ash Roughani of CivicMeet, Public Innovation, Code for Sacramento – take your pick. Roughani hacked in last Monday, May 13, and took us biking and inline skating, played us some tunes, brought us along to Code for Sacramento, TEDxSacramen

Four years ago, Paul Trudeau tried to figure out a way to raise fish he could prepare for dinner. “I like to eat fish, so I thought it’d be fun to raise our own fish,” he said. “I looked online about it and saw you can grow fish with vegetables.” His love for fish eventually led to the seedlings of his business, the Southside Aquaponic Farm, in the Southside Park neighborhood between Fifth and W streets in Sacramento. It’s the first commercial aquaponic operation in the city. Aquaponics combines aquaculture, or raising fish, with hydroponics, or growing plants without soil. The sustainable farming system circulates water with fish waste to the stems of vegetables. The water and bacteria

The Sacramento craft beer industry is growing more robust by the year, becoming a facet of the city that residents can take pride in – and visitors should take note of. Rubicon and Sudwerk helped put us on the map, and now new microbreweries such as Ruhstaller, Knee Deep, Track 7 and New Helvetia are working to enrich our scene, with the potential to make it a defining characteristic of the city. Chase down your farm-to-fork dinner with a local brew – what’s not to love? Whether you are an über beer nerd, or simply love a cold one on a hot Sacramento day, our Sacramento Beer Writer wants to help you get the most out of your brew experiences. Join us at New Helvetia Brewing Company, 1730 B

The Sacramento Old City Association is organizing a public forum on Mckinley Village on June 8 at the Midtown Village Cafe. The Sacramento Press will be live streaming and blogging the event. To get emailed when the action kicks off, register here: I sent SOCA Chair (and Sac Press Elite Contributor and all-star commenter) William Burg a few questions about the event and its goals. His response are below. SP: Why did SOCA decide to do a forum on McKinley Village? WB: Our mission statement is based on achieving balanced and harmonious relationships among residential, commercial and employment uses. Change happens whether we like it or not, but engaged citizens can direct change in posi

Our editor Jared Goyette will be sitting down with Thomas Dodson at Bows and Arrows on Wednesday afternoon, May 19, for a live chat.  Dodson recently posted an op-ed professing his love for our city, telling the haters to either get proactive or move on.  Our readers weighed in onsite and via twitter.  Editor’s note: Every Thursday we deliver a local event guide straight to your inbox, right on time to make your weekend plans. Sign me up.

Update: The Sacramento Old City Association is organizing a public forum on Mckinley Village for June 8 at the Midtown Village Cafe. The Sacramento Press is an official sponsor and will will be live streaming and blogging the event. After Midtown and East Sacramento neighborhood associations have expressed concerns about the McKinley Village project proposed for vacant land near Sutter’s Landing Park, developer Riverview Capital Investments pushed back in a recent interview. They made their case for what they see as a "21 Century Urban Village" that will provide the city with much needed urban infill development while fitting in well with surrounding area. "I feel like we're honoring t

AP Environmental Science students are exploring the gym at Grant Union High School--and they’re shooting lasers at the ceiling. Handheld laser distance meters are just one of a few specialty tools Pacific Gas & Electric energy specialist Keith Smith is teaching the students to use. The lasers allow them to measure distance from each lighting fixture to the floor of the gym. The class is taking baseline measurements as part of a larger project to make the gym at Grant High School dramatically brighter, thanks to a $10,000 Bright Ideas grant to the Twin Rivers Unified School District from the Pacific Gas & Electric Company. Greenwise Joint Venture and the U.C. Davis’ California Lighting T

For Matt Castle, a New York-based jack of all musical trades whose work can currently be heard in Sacramento Theatre Company’s lauded world-premiere production of “A Little Princess” (extended through the evening of May 19), taking on the task of orchestrating Eric Rockwell’s score was a multi-layered labor of love. Not only did it allow Castle, a Sacramento native now living in New York, the opportunity to participate in the gifting of his hometown with an original musical adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s beloved novel, but it provided yet another project on which he and husband Frank Galgano could collaborate – further establishing the duo’s reputation as go-to guys for musical t

Dennis Newhall has been the organizer and curator of the Sacramento Rock and Radio Museum since 2000. The museum, which houses a wealth of local concert memorabilia, only opens for the public on Second Saturdays. It's located at 911 20th Street, next door to what used to be a hot local band venue called the Oasis Ballroom. Dennis himself played a role in the local music and radio scene, working for radio stations KZAP, KSFM and KROY. The museum showcases his vast collection of concert posters and donated memorabilia of mainly the 1960s through 1980s, but also includes later artifacts. On Saturday night, May 11, Dennis and I did a video interview for SacTV.com about the museum and how it ha

This past Tuesday, May 7, I had the pleasure of meeting with Trisha Rhomberg, co-owner of Bows and Arrows, to do a shoot on the latest merchandise hitting the floor. I’ve always checked out Bows and Arrows for the variety of vintage, handmade and new items. I loved the funky eclectic vibe of the shop; you walk in and see stuff that is truly unique. When talking about personal style Trisha said, “Fashion should be fun … I was sick of being concerned about trends and what others thought about what I wore, I like to dress to have fun!” It reminded me of how everyone follows a trend, or tries to avoid the trend, when fashion shouldn’t be about trends, but be a form of self-expression. Fashion

There is nowhere else in the world I want to live but Sacramento, Calif. Bold statement? Not for me. Let me explain why. Two recent life events have reopened my eyes as to why this place is unique. I’ll get to those in a minute, but first it’s important I define Sacramento. When I say Sacramento, I think of one place: the grid. That’s the area from Old Sacramento on the west to Interstate 80 Business on the east, and from the American River to the north to the WX Freeway on the south. It’s a roughly 900-square block area that contains world-class food, entertainment, nightlife, shopping, art, recreation and businesses. It also has acres of parks, a beach (no, I’m not telling you where),

Are you looking to start off your Mother's Day weekend with some fun-filled obstacle running and zombies? This Saturday, May 11th, you can do this and much more. The Run For Your Lives 5K run is coming to Northern California for the first time. Not only will you enjoy the fun of running through and sliding down various obstacles, but you will do so while being chased by bloody, hungry zombies. Whether you would like to sign up as a runner or volunteer to become a zombie yourself, stop by and check it out. Enjoy a day of zombies, food trucks, and obstacles. Running or being a zombie not your thing? Then show up and check out the Apocalypse Party for games, music, food and vendors. Best of