Californians deserve a day to celebrate their great state and on Friday, September 9 at 11:30 a.m. (on the north steps of the State Capitol), the public is invited to a special -- and free -- event in honor of California’s 161st year of statehood!  Visitors will enjoy patriotic live music, birthday cake and ice cream provided by California State Parks, the State Capitol Museum and with support from the California State Capitol Museum Volunteer Association.   Come one, come all and be sure to stop by the California State Capitol Museum located inside the Capitol that offers free admission all year long. For more information about the special Admission Day Celebration or other events and a

Editor's Note: More than 4,800 athletes from 93 countries, ranging in age from 35 to 101, are competing in the 19th World Masters Athletics Outdoor Championships at Sacramento State's A.G. Spanos Sports Complex through July 17. This marks the first time in 16 years that the biennial event has been held in the United States. Click here for a complete list of each day's results from the WMA Championships in Sacramento. For more info on the World Master's Athletics Championships, click here.

Editor's Note: More than 4,800 athletes from 93 countries, ranging in age from 35 to 101, are competing in the 19th World Masters Athletics Outdoor Championships at Sacramento State's A.G. Spanos Sports Complex through July 17. This marks the first time in 16 years that the biennial event has been held in the United States. Click here for a complete list of each day's results from the WMA Championships in Sacramento. For more info on the World Master's Athletics Championships, click here.

Editor's Note: More than 4,800 athletes from 93 countries, ranging in age from 35 to 101, are competing in the 19th World Masters Athletics Outdoor Championships at Sacramento State's A.G. Spanos Sports Complex through July 17. This marks the first time in 16 years that the biennial event has been held in the United States. Click here for a complete list of each day's results from the WMA Championships in Sacramento. For more info on the World Master's Athletics Championships, click here.

The rain didn't stop an estimated 13,000 college students and faculty from marching on the State Capitol Monday to demand legislators work out their differences and put tax extensions on the ballot, which educators have said would make next year's cuts more bearable. Students were bused from all over the state to the Towe Auto Museum, where the march officially began. Called the “March in March,” Monday's protest was the fourth year in a row that the same group came out to the Capitol in such large numbers. As it stands now, Gov. Jerry Brown's proposed budget for fiscal year 2011 assesses a $1.4 billion cut to higher education, including $500 million to University of California schools a

The California International Marathon went off without a hitch on Sunday. Despite severe weather warnings, conditions were perfect and thousands of athletes took part in this popular, annual event.   A young cheerleader enjoyed her time at the finish line infront of her State Capital. The Highway Patrol's mounted division helped with security for all the athletes. Sac P.D. did a great job helping this event go off without a hitch. A female relay runner finishing up her leg and the race. Another relay runner in her closing stages. The most colorful athlete of the day completing his race in 3 hours, 20 minutes. Husband and wife on a Sunday morning jog..."wait, we've just compl

Sacramento’s holiday lights will shine a little less brightly this season when Westfield Downtown Plaza goes without a giant Christmas tree for the first time in 30 years. Without a tree, the annual day-after-Thanksgiving tree lighting ceremony at the mall's Seventh and K streets entrance also won't be held. However, the plaza is likely to be the only place in Sacramento with a little snow this winter after artificial snow-making machines are set up in a children's play area. Sacramentans can enjoy two other Christmas tree lightings. Old Sacramento will light up its huge tree at 6 p.m. Wednesday at K and Front streets, followed by a light show and more to set the historic district sparkl

"Strengthening Communities One Family at a Time" November is National Adoption Month. Counties and communities across California will promote adoption and permanency awareness through activities and events that bring attention to the needs of the children and youth in foster care throughout the state waiting for families to love and adopt them.  Of the 60,000 children and youth that are in California's foster care system, 25,000 of them are ready to be adopted, and yet the continue to linger in care.  Locally, there are about 1,200 children and youth in the Sacramento region who are waiting to be adopted. National Adoption Day on November 20, 2010 will cap the month-long effort to raise

Monday the United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit placed their own stay in the Federal Prop 8 Case, which doesn’t allow the issuing of marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Once again disappointment, and for some, anger has invaded the lives of many same-sex couples who were set to take their vows on the West Steps of the California State Capitol Building today. In place of the planned Wedding Ceremonies, leaders of the LGBT Community are calling for a Protest Rally and March around the State Capitol. This will begin on the West Steps at 6:00pm, Wednesday August 18 (when hundreds of same-sex marriages would have taken place). Equality Action Now as well as organizations thro

California's Democratic and Republican chairmen addressed how their parties' candidates will overcome the budget crisis if elected in November at the Capital Plaza Halls Tuesday afternoon. The lunch was hosted by the Sacramento Press Club and was attended by members of the working press, state politics, and public. Republican Party Chairman Ron Nehring and Democratic Party Chairman John Burton spoke mainly on the gubernatorial and senate elections, claiming that in the coming months it will become increasingly clear why either party has the better candidate. Among the issues addressed was that of campaign financing. With Meg Whitman's campaign likely to spend hundreds of millions of doll

Following a five-month hiatus, intriguing closing argument to the Federal lawsuit against California’s Proposition 8 were heard in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco on June 16, and a decision in the case is expected shortly. The leadership of Sacramento’s Equality Action Now, a local, grassroots civil rights organization and the Sacramento Gay and Lesbian Center are planning to respond to whatever ruling Judge Vaughn Walker decides in the case with a rally at the Sacramento G&L Center, 1927 L St. As of this writing there are no indications when the ruling will take place. Organizers are preparing for any day or time it could be announced. There were rumours flying yesterday that t

Over 300 students, parents, friends, and family members braved gusty winds on the West Steps of the Capitol on Saturday, June 12, to recognize over 140 local high school graduates from the Sacramento area who had been chosen as the 2010 Ronald McDonald House Scholars. Participants at the Recognition Ceremony took photographs and shook hands with local community leaders as part of an event to award the recipients with a certificate acknowledging their scholarship award. Several prominent business and community leaders attended the event including Sacramento County Supervisor Roger Dickinson, Sacramento City Council Member Rob Fong, Solano County Supervisor John Vasquez, KCRA-TV anchor Adr

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

It was an exciting day in Sacramento as Stage 1 of the Amgen Tour of California (ATOC) rolled through. It kicked-off in Nevada City and returned to the river city with cycling's biggest superstar and seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong (seen above). The Tour de France is the world's premier cycling tour. The ATOC is the Tour de France of North America. Besides Armstrong, the free food and free schwag at the MBT (Shoes) Lifestyle Festival wasn't bad either. I'm not a huge fan of cycling, but I'm drawn to the ATOC since I first went in 2008. Knowing that cycling's biggest star, Armstrong, would be in the race drew me back since I missed it last year. This could also be my las

 To commemorate Harvey Milk Day, on his birthday, May 22, 2010 Equality Action Now will host a fun and historic Rally and March on the West steps of the State Capitol. Invited guests include adult and youth speakers from the community as well as entertainment. Highlighting the entertainment will be the cast of Broadway’s hit, A Chorus Line. The road tour of A Chorus Line will be playing at the Sacramento Community Theatre May 19-23. According to their tour manager the cast will perform their matinee show then head over to the Capitol to perform a musical number from A Chorus Line, “What I Did For Love”. A Chorus Line, one of the most recognized Broadway musicals, won nine Tony Awards, in

What better way to spend a sunny afternoon than on the steps of the State Capitol.  On Sunday, May 2d, the Jewish Heritage Festival drew large crowds to experience the food, culture, and arts.  The headliner, internationally known musical performer Matisyahu, shared his blend of reggae, urban beats, and flavorful world music with the crowd that not only embraced him, but also each other, thus demonstrating how, on this day at the Capitol, music was indeed the best policy.  A variety of cultural dance performers, speakers, and even the Sacramento Kings' mascot, Slamson, were on hand.

I don't want to make any big generalized Political statements here, I'll let the photos do that, but I WILL say that the whole thing seemed devoid of any sort of Joy or optimism. Calling the State Capitol "That stupid building" over and over again seemed a little excessive and more than a bit regressive and M.C.s Eric Hogue and Roger Hedgecock seemed more interested in fomenting anger than in putting forth any sort of answers to the "issues" they purported to address.

"For us domestic riders, this is our Tour de France," Chris Jones said of the Amgen Tour of California. "It's the biggest race of our year," added the 31-year-old cyclist from Auburn. Jones and Michael Sayers, a retired professional rider, are Amgen tour veterans. They joined John McCasey, Sacramento Sports Commission director, at a Tuesday press conference at Mason's Restaurant. They introduced the tour's first stage -- from Nevada City to Sacramento -- with Mayor Kevin Johnson and Councilmen Ray Tretheway and Steve Cohn also in attendance. The event kicked off with a video that provided a glimpse of the scenery cyclists will see when they ride from Nevada City to Sacramento on May 16.

New life is coming out of old trees in Sacramento. A foothills woodcarver is finishing a prototype for a collectible wood baseball bat made from a tulip poplar loved by generations as it stood on state Capitol grounds for 129 years. Two Mendocino brothers created a seven-foot-tall abstract tree sculpture from another part of the tree. And a Sacramento sculptor is working on a free-form chair from a California black walnut that marked the site of an old wagon trail for at least 140 years. The wood remains of these old trees are being turned into art, furniture and other new projects to benefit the Legacy Trees Project. Sponsored by nonprofit Sacramento Education Events for Art, the proj

Wednesday, Jan. 27 Noon - 1 p.m. The California Prolife Council will be holding a "Rally For Life" on the West Steps of the Capitol. Following the rally, the group of approximately 350 will meet with legislators. Thursday, Jan. 28 Noon - 1:30 p.m. The California Office of Privacy Protection will be holding a press conference on the north steps of the Capitol. They will discuss the importance of protecting privacy by disposing of personal information, especially electronic data. Approximately 15 people are expected. No further events will occur outside the Capitol until Feb. 1.