For the never-say-die Kings fan, Jan. 9 was an important day. It was the premiere of Small Market, Big Heart at the historic Crest Theatre in Downtown Sacramento. A documentary designed, as their promo states, “to share the compelling 26-year story of the people of Sacramento and their battle to get and keep a professional sports franchise” The film played once more on January 21, on KXTL FOX 40, but then went silent. On Tuesday, May 15, the outstanding documentary and collective vision of producers James Ham and Blake Ellington as well as director Tobin Halsey, will finally be available across the nation by way of the Small Market, Big Heart website (www.smallmarketbigheart.com) for th

Pets. Loveable. Frustrating. All-consuming? I seen this more often than I would like. Person A has dog (or cat or bird or whatever). Person A finds themselves in a committed relationship with Person B. Person B does not like animals. Person A is torn. They love their Ruffy, but they also kind of dig Person B. What to do, what to do. Why should you have to choose? If you are an animal lover and you had your best friend before you got in this semi-serious relationship, the incoming significant other needs to understand that your pet is your companion. If they are an animal hater, that is likely to cause some serious dissention in your relationship. I would hate to see relationships fai

The Harvey Milk Foundation celebrates the third annual Harvey Milk Day in Sacramento, Calif. and joins together with the California Legislative LGBT Caucus and Equality California (EQCA) to host a breakthrough conversation on the implementation and benefits of Senate Bill (SB) 48. This is an important event that families, educators, students, policy leaders and civil rights advocates should attend. Given the importance of the conversation, and the special holiday to celebrate one of our LGBT heroes, this event is free to the public with RSVP: http://harveymilkday.eventbrite.com/ Substance and celebration: The Fair, Accurate, Inclusive, and Respectful (FAIR) Education Act (SB 48), autho

Mother's Day is almost upon us and, while some people think it ends after giving mom breakfast in bed, the fun doesn't have to end there. Treat mom to the whole day by taking advantage of the many activities Sacramento has to offer. Scribner Bend Vineyards Mother's Day Brunch Location: 9051 River Road Event hours: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Scribner Vineyards is opening its doors for a brunch catered by Rayna's Gourmet Catering. There will be three brunch times available: 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. Located about 15 minutes from downtown Sacramento, guests get to sit and eat outside, surrounded by grape vines. "It's 15 minutes from downtown, but you feel like you're in a different world. It's got

I think it is safe to assume that everyone reading this is either a teenager or used to be a teenager. Do you ever look back at your 16-year-old self and feel like punching yourself in the face? I was a late bloomer. I made it to 17 incident-free, but seriously... what was I thinking? It breaks my heart to see parents with errant teens, saddened by their choices and seemingly helpless to correct them. Blank stares, slammed doors, late nights. Teenagers. It breaks my hear to see teenagers – angry, frustrated and unable to effectively communicate with the ones who brought them into this world. I'm not telling you it is easy, or that you can fix it, or, more importantly, that it is anyone’

Arthritis sucks, because today: · Three people will die from arthritis-related complications · 50 million men, women and children are in pain from arthritis · 3,750 joints will be replaced Arthritis and its forms, like RA (Rheumatoid Arthritis), are often referred to as the “invisible disease.” The symptoms are invisible when looking at an affected person’s appearance – so much that people with the disease often hear, “but you don’t look sick.” There’s also a misconception that only old people are suffering. However, JRA (juvenile rheumatoid arthritis) can be diagnosed as early as 6 months old. The effects of arthritis and all of its forms, however, are far from invisible to those who

People of all ages are invited to enter the world of jazz during the kick off pre-festival event at Midtown Village Cafe on Friday at 8 p.m. for Sacramento's fifth annual In the Flow Festival. The preview show will give audiences a taste of the types of music they can expect when attending the In the Flow Festival, which will be held May 9 to the 14th. "(The preview show is) not only for the media, but for fans to wet their appetite. We have local and Oakland based bands coming in to get people excited. It's also an opportunity to meet and greet folks who are coming to some or all of the festival," Publicist Mindy Giles said. A $6 cover charge per person at the door will give fans and m

The Sacramento Convoy of Hope is a collaborative effort between dozens of local churches, businesses, social service organizations, local government and Convoy of Hope, Inc—a 501(c)(3) non-profit humanitarian organization, serving in the United States and around the world, providing food for the hungry and relief for people in crisis. For more info, go to: http://sacramentocoh.org/index.php The Sacramento outreach will provide an estimated twenty thousand people with a tangible message of hope — free groceries, clothing, health screenings, job fairs, haircuts, social services, games and activities for children, and much more. All goods and services are provided to guests free of charge. T

What separates a shallow relationship from a lifelong commitment? Checking in. OK, I am being super facetious when I say that, because it really can't be separated that way. However, something that I have always appreciated about my husband, even when we were dating, is that he checks in. I, in turn, offer him the same courtesy if I am out of town or going to be working late. By “checking in," I do not mean a 30-minute conversation about everything he did that day or an exact itinerary while he is away. Situation: My husband is out of town for work or screwing around with his buddies. Check-in: Text that says, "Hey wife, hope you had a good day, love you!" Yes, my husband calls me "wi

Sacramento outfielder Brandon Moss reached the 1,000th minor-league hit in Thursdays 5-1 victory over the Padres. The top of the first inning proved eventful as the Padres' first batter, left fielder Daniel Robertson, was hit by the pitcher in the left shoulder. Second baseman Everth Cabrera was out after lining out to River Cats short stop Adam Rosales. Right fielder Sawyer Carroll hit a fly into a double play, which was caught by right fielder River Cats' Jermaine Mitchell. He then threw to first baseman Chris Carter taking Padres' Robertson out on first. The River Cats also started off with a bang in the bottom of the first as their first hitter, right fielder Jermaine Mitchell, hit a

Looking for an alternative to the Monday workday routine? Grab your wheelbarrow and join other park lovers as we mulch the trees of McKinley Park. Why are we adding mulch to the trees? • Mulch suppresses weeds, which reduces maintenance costs by reducing the need to apply herbicides around the trees (a common practice in Sacramento area parks) • Mulch increases nutrient and water retention in the soil (which means less watering) • Mulch enhances soil structure • Mulch encourages favorable microbes and worms Ken Decio, California Integrated Waste Management Board says, “Not only does mulch keep green material out of landfills. It also controls weeds, reduces erosion, conserves water, adds

More than 85 people attended a poetry benefit at the Guild Theater on April 21, 2012 to raise funds for the “Que Llueva Café” scholarship which aims to support the dreams, hopes, and aspirations of college bound undocumented students so they can earn their college degree and allow their hard work and sacrifice to persevere. Thirty scholars were chosen holistically by a panel of community volunteers through CORE, Chicano Organizing and Research in Education earlier this month. Every year, the group aims to raise $15,000 to help undocumented scholars working towards higher education.  Recipients live everywhere in the United States, not just in California. “When we first put this scholarsh

If it wasn’t enough that it was Grateful Dead night and fans that bought the special ticket package got to talk to the legendary Bill Walton, members of the band and got a special T-shirt to mark the occasion. Then, the only player in NBA history to average a triple-double for an entire season, former Kansas City Royal Oscar Robertson was being recognized. How about that it was Fan Appreciation Night at the ole barn and nearly half in attendance was rewarded with some kind of prize for being a loyal purple-wearing fan. And finally, outstanding Rookie-of-the-Year candidate Isaiah Thomas was honored as this year’s winner of the team’s Oscar Robertson Triple Double Award during the game. Oh,

Coming into Thursday night’s contest at Raley Field, the Sacramento River Cats were on a roll. As winners of four of their last five, the team’s confidence was riding high, especially considering the pitching staff had only given up seven runs in the last five games. All that changed with the Tacoma Rainiers in town. They brought their ace, Anthony Vasquez, who had a streak of nine consecutive quality starts on the line dating back to last July, pitched a gem and kept Sacramento’s bats confused by changing speeds often. The pitching performance allowed the Rainiers to win the game 1-0 on a beautiful 79 degree evening in front of 4,304 fans. For the River Cats, the action got started in t

As the season winds down, the challenge becomes: How do you keep a 20-41 team still yearning for more wins and team cohesion? How about play the San Antonio Spurs (45-16) in front of a nearly packed house and learn from the seemingly simple way the team from Texas goes about its everyday business? The plan worked for 24 minutes. After halftime, the Spurs decided to lay the smackdown and really show the Sacramento Kings (20-42) how the formula translates on the floor by outscoring the home team 69-42 in the second half on way to a 127-102 rout at Power Balance Pavilion Wednesday evening. The good news was that the Kings took an early 6-0 lead on the backs of Tyreke Evans and Jason Thomps

Surrounded by precious, handmade baby clothes, Cyndi Mitchell thinks back to 2009 when her tiny twin daughters were born prematurely and she was thrown into the uncertainty of what comes with a child, or children, who must be hospitalized in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Mitchell remembers those days as some of the hardest in her life, and in an attempt to help other families in similar circumstances, she and her husband Dustin founded the Alyboo and Izybee Foundation, named after their two beautiful daughters Aly and Izy. This amazing foundation is funded through donations, fundraisers and now, a children’s boutique, which had their grand opening on Saturday. The boutique, Aly &

Thunder, hail, lightening and even a tornado. Weather gone bizarre for Northern California. To say the least the weather has been quite interesting in the past few months for the Sacramento region. The past few weeks keeping many families inside trying to keep dry or warm. Killing the typical April family outings to Old Sacramento, the capital and the American River bike trail. Many Sacramento folks trying to just steer clear of the thunder, lighting, and the hail. Not to mention a Tornado? What has gotten into Mother Nature? What has Sacramento done to deserve this weather. Can we blame it on the Maloof’s and the battle with keeping the Kings in Sacramento? I wish! Saturday the tables

The River Cats took another victory on Sunday in the third of the four-game home series against the Reno Aces with a score of 3-1. The game started off with two strike outs and a fly for the Aces, with River Cats starting pitcher Travis Banwart maintaining zero runs, hits and errors. The River Cats started off with one hit by designated hitter Chris Carter with a single to right-center field, followed by right fielder Brandon Moss with a walk, pushing Carter to second. During the top of the second inning, Aces' Randy Ruiz doubled to right field, followed by third baseman Ryan Wheeler hitting a fly out to left field. Second baseman Taylor Harbin walked. Catcher Ryan Budde reached on a fi

Sacramento's best storytellers will be entertaining at the very first Spring into Stories festival on Saturday, April 21. From 10am to 10pm, Carol's Books at 1913 Del Paso Boulevard will feature stories, music, poetry, dance, juggling, food and more. The all-day entertainment includes a Story Slam, a Liar's Contest, Kids' Place, Spoken Word, and cultural performances. A story concert begins at 7pm. All events are free, with a suggested donation of $5 during the reception and story concert. The program is “a must for the entire family” according to Angela James of Fenix Drum and Dance. The festival is sponsored by Carol’s Books and Fenix Drum and Dance Company, Sacramento's premier West A

It's coming to that time of year again when people reunite with the outdoors, shedding the winter clothes and holiday pounds in a zest for activities under the sun. While some folks prefer to stay inside, others are ready to lather on the sunscreen. The Sacramento Press hit the streets around McKinley Park, William Land Park and surrounding neighborhoods this Easter weekend to hear what locals consider their favorite outdoor activities. Golden 1 Membership-Relationship Specialist Sarah Jones, 25, said she enjoys walking her three dogs with her husband at McKinley Park because of the exercise for both the dogs and her and her husband. "We will usually do two laps or so. It's good for th