Saturday, August 29, at 10 a.m. Sacramento Habitat for Humanity and Sacramento community members will gather to dedicate the Thor family home at 2954 Connie Drive in Sacramento. The Thor family has put in 500 hours of sweat equity alongside community volunteers and other Habitat families. The Thor family home was made possible by a $75,000 sponsorship from the California State Employees Charitable Campaign. This simple, decent home includes environmentally friendly, money saving solar panels thanks to a grant from PG&E. Habitat for Humanity serves families earning 30 percent – 50 percent of the Sacramento County area median income. According to the 2000 US Census Bureau, in Sacramento Cou

Solar Cookers International (SCI) held its annual Shine On event Aug. 21 at the Sierra 2 community center in Curtis Park. The event included demonstrations of solar cooking, complimentary solar-cooked food and two informative presentations hosted by notable Sacramentans. About 250 people of all ages were in attendance. SCI volunteer Del Tura demonstrated the potential of the solar box cooker. Overlooking a large lamp positioned near a cooker, Tura enthusiastically described the history and effectiveness of the device, which has been been used since the 1970s by U.S. hobbyists. "Earlier today we had the cooker in the parking lot; it reached 250 degrees. Under the lamp, it only gets to abou

Sacramento's Solar Cookers International (SCI), a group that helps communities harness the power of the sun to cook food and pasteurize water, will be holding their annual "Shine On" event Wednesday evening. The event will educate SCI's supporters on their successes of the last year and highlight future projects, said the event's coordinator Rene Hamlin. About 250 people are expected to fill the Sierra 2 Center from 5 to 9 p.m. to listen to speeches by SCI co-founder Dr. Bob Metcalf and Capitol Public Radio food reporter and solar cook Sherry Cole. Those who attend will be able to view cooking demonstrations, eat solar-cooked food and even participate in a silent auction featuring art by