I’m not an artist, but very appreciative of various kinds of art. As such, I have read that, in general, art is made with the intention of stimulating thoughts and emotions. In the arts, “media (plural of medium) are the materials and techniques used by an artist to produce a work.” It is up to the creativity and imagination of the artist to select from a wide variety of media the material(s) and technique(s) to use when creating a work of art. There is an extremely wide variety of such materials and techniques that an artist is able to use when producing a work of art. Kansas teenagers who created the art shown in the photos below tapped highly unusual materials available free in their

 Starting last year and continuing into this year, tree vandalism in Midtown has been rampant. The vandalism most often occurs on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights/early mornings. This fiscal year we have had 29 tree vandalized (26 in the central city). Victim trees are located outside, near to or within a block of bars and nightclubs. The damage consists of twisting, cutting them in half or breaking off at any point newly planted trees of all species, ripping out the stakes and battering the trees and trying to break a tree by bending it over so far that it damaged the root system so much it could not stand straight without city arborists’ attention and help. Imagine a vandal’s courage

 If the goal of the alleged arsonist(s) was to destroy the historic ICELAND ice-skating rink, it appears that it failed because the fire did not destroy the necessary mechanical ice-making device. As many know by know, the Kerth family property owners plan to have skaters on the ice again by late November 2010. While the building itself will probably not be rebuilt by then, plans are to provide in the meantime an open-air venue to skaters. Instead of an exterior protecting skaters from the elements, the new temporary facility will replicate an outdoor rink in snow country. All that will be needed to authenticate the scene is an overhead wind- blowing machine scattering a few white flakes

The following true stories suggest that we do not give our animal friends sufficient credit as to their intelligence, loyalty and devotion. Some scoff at animals having or showing emotion. I believe that they do have feelings and often very deep, including love for each other and humans that are special to them. Apparently they can connect with us in ways that are yet unknown. I felt these true stories were particularly appropriate for Valentine’s Day. A long time friend emailed the first story to me; the second is a personal story. Freedom and Jeff Freedom, a Bald Eagle and a man named Jeff have been together 11 years this past summer. Freedom came into the animal rescue center as a bab

 It is now expected that the Sacramento City Council will decide in mid or late January whether it wants to place on the ballot the repeal of 1977’s Measure A, which prohibited the city from requiring property owners to containerize waste. If the repeal is placed on the ballot and citywide voters pass it, then council has the legal authority to force residential property owners to containerize “green” waste. Never mind that most of it in the central city (CC) is not green at all but brown from the city’s year-round falling tree leaves. Advocates of containerization, please note that important distinction as you drive or bike by because heretofore you muddied it—either by lack of observati

 Part I described differences in our city’s neighborhoods and how the self- appointed green waste committee ignored those differences, requesting council to punish some central city (CC) by forcing them to containerize city tree-dropped leaves 10 months out of the year. This second and final part details more differences: Another pesky difference for part of the central city. Did any of you readers ever get one of those $49 dollar tickets for parking on a street where the sign reads, “No parking 8 to 12 on Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs - street cleaning”? If you have, just park south of R Street in Newtown, Booth, Richmond Grove or anywhere in South Side. Motorists—commuter or resident—-there don

 If anyone wonders, as I have, why and how issues in local and other political campaign matter less now than digging up dirt about an opponent, they will find their answer when they see “ATWATER Fixin’ to Die, now playing in the Three Penny Theater—a California Stage at 1745 25th Street. Author Robert Myers capsules the history of Southerner Harvey Leroy Atwater, the man who diverted the focus of political campaigns from discussing serious issues facing voters locally and nationally to uncovering, distorting and publicizing a candidate’s personal characteristics with no relevance to the qualifications for the job. Atwater’s unethical campaign management strategy vilified and twisted those

Why sign the petition against K Street revitalization efforts? Here we go again.  Pane and followers don't have the originality or creativity to put forward ideas and suggestions for businesses that would revitalize K Street, but they will spend their energy to be nay-sayers to SF entrepreneur's proposal to create entertainment venues. Sure the project is risky.  Sure it might fail.  Sure it uses tax money.  Have these self-appointed defenders of our tax dollars ever heard of "investment?"  Taxpayer dollars are often used to invest in a community.  What's wrong with that?  Some have said it would be better if we had a “Downtown Market”—like Seattle’s Pike Place Market.  Sounds like a gr

The Neighborhood Summit 2009 On Friday March 6 Sacramento City’s Neighborhood Services Department sponsored a Neighborhood Summit in the Convention Center.  The slogan on the cover page was “Good Neighborhoods = A Great City. Neighborhood Services Director, Vincene Jones and staff did a highly commendable job of organizing and executing the event. Those attending the summit consisted of city staff, people from non-profit businesses, neighborhoods and neighborhood associations. Senator Darrell Steinberg was the Guest Speaker and delivered a short but inspiring summary of his history as a young man who lived in Tahoe Park Neighborhood starting with his neighborhood involvement where reside

Mayor Kevin Johnson, in his speech to the Sacramento Chamber of Commerce reflected a sentiment with which many residents agree.  A partial near quote:  “I’m tired of people asking me where is Sacramento?  I’m tired of hearing that Sacramento is halfway between San Francisco and Tahoe.”  Then the Chamber members laughed and clapped loudly in agreement.  I laughed and agreed too.  I used to be asked the same question but not for some years now.  But that difference is probably because he and I travel in different circles.   Then he went on to imply that “slow process” was at fault and needed changing.  That charge echoed ominously familiar from having heard city management and some influent

Graffiti On my morning walk today, I noted additional new graffiti in midtown.  As readers may have noticed, there two distinct types of graffiti. One type has some artistic merit.  The other type is made by vandals, including gangs, who mark their territory--much like dogs and cats when they urinate on various surfaces.  Animals do it because it is their nature.  Vandals do it for complex psychological unnatural reasons. Those who paint graffiti for art purposes, sometimes find a permanent spot for their work.  I'm told that some photograph their work and sell it to interested magazines or for  CD and DVD covers.  If any of them read this article, respond in comments, and I'll refer him

I've just learned that city management is planning  to move the appeal process to cut down trees from the Parks and Recreation Commission to the Planning Commission on all development related issues!!!  This would apply to ALL developer projects. Why is this bad?  This change will enable Development Services Manager and staff (who have no expertise in trees) to order removal of healthy shade trees any time a developer wants them removed.   The public  would have to appeal to the Planning Commission instead of the Parks and Recreation Commission.  A tree would not have to be in the way of construction.  It could be that the developer wants all new or fewer trees bordering the new building.

Sarus opened up in the former site of First Choice Chinese Restaurant.  I have eaten there four times now--two lunches and two dinners.  Like curry?  The chicken curry is great--subtle flavor, generous portion and reasonably priced as are all menu items  The plate of deluxe vegetables is varied and can be ordered with or without curry.  The Mongolian beef is flavorful, tender and juicy.  The huge bowl of noodles with chicken is tasty and the egg flower and sweet and sour soups are among the best I've had.  I like my Asian foods HOT and they have three choices or all three if you want some hot oil, hot tomato chii or bottled hot sauce.  I prefer the first two.  Both bring out the flavor.  T

It was 5:00 p.m. They walked through the north entrance, they streamed in the south entrance and all six elevators whizzed up and down carrying employees to the elevator lobby. Within minutes the spacious south lobby was full of people. The crowd then spilled over into the center security reception area and the north lobby. The friends and supporters of Heather Fargo, the Honorable Mayor of California's capital city, Sacramento, had come to City Hall to celebrate and and give respect to her achievements while lamenting their loss very of very popular and effective leader. After 19 years of often thankless public service to our city she had been voted out of office! The gathering was a tr