After budget cuts threatened to close seven community pools, concerned residents of Southside Park decided to write a letter to City Councilman Rob Fong. The letter will specifically address the Southside Park Community pool facility, which serves people from many different neighborhoods, not just those who reside in Southside Park. Land Park resident Pat McKnight showed up to support the Southside Park community and said she would be very sad to see it close. "This is my favorite pool," McKnight said. I've been to others, and this is my favorite. It's very near and dear to my heart. My grandchildren visit here, and they love it." Don Knutson, treasurer of the Southside Park Neighborho

We have a problem in our neighborhood, and I suspect in other neighborhoods as well. We have a well meaning, but misguided women, traveling the streets and alleys of the neighborhood putting out dishes of cat food and water at night. I know her heart’s in the right place, but what she does not realize is that the animals that roam our alleys, and even our streets at night are not so much cats, as possums, rats, raccoons, and skunks. These wild animals are probably most numerous in the peripheral areas of the city, like Southside Park, where they can retreat during the day to the protected areas around freeway structures and levees. Yes, these creatures have a right to live too, but we do n

Mr. Villa stood on the stage, but the crowd seemed to not recognize the man who was in front of the wall that bore his art.  "Don't graffitti it" he told the young skateboarders that were in the park.  Esteban Villa then sang a song that was the "Bakersfield" sound, "Chicano" in its roots, but Bakersfield in its sound.  Professor Emeritus Esteban Villa was at home while he remembered he was sitting under the trees when he thought of the song "Southside Park". Southside Park on Saturday was like a barbecue with benefits.  Skateboards, pretty women, promotions, music, and the locals walking their bikes and stopping to see what all the music was about.  Nearby, the sounds of powwow drums cou

Join the Southside Park Community and The Sacramento Press for the second annual Southside Sessions art and music festival at Southside Park, 2115 Sixth St. This event is anticipated to bring a much larger audience than last year's premier festival and will feature art and skateboarding demonstrations, live music, games, water activities and free art and music classes for the kids. Local musicians Prieta, Smirker, O Street Dub, Majesty and Esteban Villa will be rocking the stage from start to finish, and children will have an opportunity to take a small recorder lesson and take their instrument home. A designated skateboard area will be set up for those who want to watch and skaters are

Saturday’s second annual Southside Sessions will bring together people, music and food for an afternoon of memory making. This year’s event is expected to be much bigger than last year’s, said event coordinator Josh Robichaud. “There were some smaller bands and food donations. This one is going to be bigger and better. We want to make it a force to be reckoned with.” Full of musical performances by bands like Prieta, Smirker, O Street Dub, Majesty and Esteban Villa, Southside Sessions will feature skateboarding by amateur riders and art demonstrations by local professionals. Following the day’s activities, there will be a movie night featuring “Monsters vs. Aliens.” Other artists inclu

This year’s Fire Spectacular, on Sunday August 8, was slated to begin around seven in the evening. The Fire Spectacular is a festival event where fire, dance, art, and music are celebrated. The event had a small festival type of atmosphere. Several vendor booths were set up to sell goods related to the event. Drumsum, a local world music style band, was on hand to provide musical entertainment. The event started slow but gained momentum as people started to set up their sitting area in front of the Southside Park Amphitheatre. Once the entertainment began on the amphitheatre stage it indeed became a spectacular event. Earlier in the day, as I approached the entrance to the event, three pe

Say the word Xilonen and most people will have never heard of the word, how to pronounce it or its meaning (I was one of those people). You can write dissertations on the subject but I’ll just provide a few facts here. Xilonen is a Nahuatl word, a Mesoamerican language still used mostly in parts of Central Mexico. Nahuatl was the language of the Aztecs. The word itself, Xilonen, means young tender ears of maíz (corn). Symbolically it is a rite of passage for young women and it seems to be a growing celebration in popularity. It is celebrated in major cities of California and as Maria Miranda said even in some places in Idaho. Sacramento has hosted Xilonen celebrations for over 30 years. M

At 7th and S Streets, one block north of Southside Park, a colorful 40-by-10-foot centerpiece flanked by two 19-by-19-foot panels has materialized on the front of a concrete building. This latest montage was created by Sofia Lacin and Hennessy Christophel of LC Mural & Design. The mural features representations of people living and working in the Capitol Park Neighborhood who are illustrated as paper-based sketches over a boldly-colored city grid. In executing the mural, the artists showcased the diversity and spirit of the Capitol Park Neighborhood, but allowed for there to be some ambiguity in identifying specific people. Passers-by will note the loosely-modeled Fremont Community Garden

Imagine Our Surprise Being surrounded on two sides by our rivers, old Sacramento neighborhoods really are, natural urban wildlife preserves. I have lived in the country and I have lived in the city and have seen more wildlife in Southside Park, a dozen blocks from the State Capital, than anywhere else I have lived. Last year an Osprey visited our small pond for a day or so, and high up in one of the Sycamores on 5th Street, a pair of hawks, raised a nest of young’uns this year. Everyone on our block watched them in wonder and awe. Later as the tree leafed out it was mostly the sound of the parents as they screeched in with food that told us of their continuing presence. We worried every w

Equality Action Now, a Sacramento based, award-winning civil rights organization will have a super-busy few weeks ahead. The grassroots, all-volunteer activist group will be participating in several events slated for Pride Month. CALIFORNIA LEGISLATIVE LGBT CAUCUS Awards Ceremony On Monday June 14, 2010 at 10:30 AM, the California Legislative LGBT Caucus will host a special awards ceremony. The California Legislature will proclaim June 2010 as LGBT Pride Month and celebrate the LGBT Community’s past accomplishments and contributions. The Assembly will also honor LGBT individuals selected from across the state for their lifetime contributions and accomplishments in creating a better futur

Along with the sunshine, the trees of Southside Park set the perfect scene for the ninth annual Passport to Summer Youth Fair on Saturday. At the event, dozens of booths showcased local activities and opportunities for youth during the summer while a main stage provided entertainment, games and raffles for the crowd. The fair was sponsored by State Senator Darrell Steinberg, Assemblyman Dave Jones and Sacramento City Councilman Rob Fong. Steinberg stressed the importance of staying active during the summer when addressing the crowd. "(The fair) is a time for us to see what we all have to offer," he said. "In these hard times, it's amazing to see the community come together." Steinberg al

Two youngsters enjoy the thrill of a tobaggan ride during Snow Day.   Council Member Lauren Hammond and 2010 Complete Count Committee delighted folks of all ages with a Snow Day in Southside Park today. There was a snow cave, toboggan rides, face painting, games, food, hot chocolate, community resources and child safety finger printing. Helen Hewitt explained the purpose of Snow Day was to publicize the importance of everyone being counted in the current Census. The census is a count taken every 10 years of people across our nation. This count determines how much federal money our community will receive over the next 10 years. If we want more money for education in our schools,  i

The fiery public debate over possible changes to the city of Sacramento’s green waste pickup system has changed course. The City Council was expected to decide in January whether to ask voters to use bins for their green waste. But it will not make a decision on the issue in the immediate future, according to Marty Hanneman, Utilities Department director. The issue of scrapping the on-the-street pickup system has been “pushed back on the table, on the back burner,” he said. For weeks, residents have been debating whether bins should be used instead of on-the-street green waste pickup. Recent reports from city staffers said a bin system would be cheaper and more environmentally responsib

MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) is preparing rain or shine to host its annual marquee community event and fundraiser “Walk like MADD” on Saturday October 17th at Southside Park in Sacramento. The registration is free and all are invited to come out and participate in this annual pledge walk that raises money to fund many programs and services that MADD provides to the families and communities of which it serves. MADD California is located at 4529 Whitney Ave. Suite 7 in Sacramento. For more information about MADD or how you can help visit the MADD website at www.madd.org or contact (916) 481-MADD.  

This summer, a group of Sacramento State graduate students and local history enthusiasts began gathering once a month to take a bike ride through Sacramento's historic neighborhoods and share their knowledge about local history, historic architecture and cultural heritage. Two rides have occurred so far. The next will take place on Sunday, August 30, at 9:00 AM, in the Southside Park neighborhood. Riders will meet at the site of the Robert E. Callahan Bandstand in Southside Park, near the corner of 7th and T Street, at 9:00 AM. Built on a former slough, Southside was inhabited by generations of immigrants and working-class families. The neighborhood's many ethnic communities, including Po

Taking a look inside MADD’s (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers) new office one will easily realize the outstanding work of one of most recognized community organizations. On Tuesday June 30th, MADD California hosted its official open house event for the community as the state’s main chapter showed off its new dig’s. Representatives from various community organizations, groups, law enforcement agencies, and victims of drunk drivers all were treated to the viewing of informational displays, a pictorial of those deceased as a result of drunk drivers, a drunk driver video, and some sharing thoughts about how our community can prevent drunk driving. Matthias Mendezona, State Executive Director for

Does Sacramento have its own culture? Sacramento's culture might be difficult to define, but thanks to the Unity and Diversity Music Festival, we at least know that it's multicultural. "Having multiple ethnicities is a big part of Sacramento's culture," says Denise Carter, the festival's assistant organizer. "It's one of the most diverse cities in the state of California." All in one place, local reggae, soca, and R&B bands will share the same stage. The festival will also feature Ethiopian, Indian and Mexican food vendors, handmade soaps and jewelry, and kids booths. "We're trying to create togetherness," added Carter. "We want to bring everybody together as one." Sacramento lacks ev

Some Earth month events in and around the City of Trees: The NATURE team of the Sacramento Tree Foundation with the help of volunteers has planted hundreds of acorns and seedlings throughout the Sacramento area. The final tree-planting at Stone Lakes Wildlife Refuge is April 18th in a location not usually accessible to the general public. This is a special place to volunteer and see some of the great wildlife around here. Sacramento Earth Day 2009 is Sunday, April 26th at Southside Park at 8th and T Streets. It's a project of ECOS (Environmental Center of Sacramento) and Friends of ECOS. The Sacramento Zoo observed Earth Day on April 4th.   We will update the calendar; if you have an

If you are like many Sacramentans, right about this time of the year you get a runny nose, begin to sneeze, and have a lot of chest mucus. These symptoms are part of your immune system's reaction to allergens, also known as allergies. But did you know that besides taking traditional medicine for allergies, there might be another supplement that can help alleviate your symptoms? It's honey — specifically, wildflower honey — and it can do much more than just help your allergies. Sacramento Press caught up with local bee farmer and honey producer Britt Floyd, and he spoke in an email interview about why buying his honey at the Southside Park Farmers Market might help one's allergies, beekeep

Spring is making its presence felt.  Flowers are blooming, leaves are returning to the trees, allergies are flaring up, and colorful foods are finding their way back to the market. Today, Sunday March 22, the Southside Farmers Market (across W St. from Southside park under the freeway) was displaying foods and flowers that have been absent during the winter months. Asparagus, beets, sweet peppers of all colors, artichokes, strawberries, beans, and kiwi among other foods were splayed out in tall mounds of edible art. Multiple vendors sold flowers of all kinds to market goers eager to tout the signs of spring. Southside Farmers Market was a hub of activity with people meandering through t