This is a very helpful and informative story. You are terrific Melissa.

Smart move. Now, please allow scooters and motorcycles in garages. For example, the garage under Downtown Plaza (7th & J&L) does not allow motorcycles or scooters. 2 wheelers can share parking areas and open up spots for cars. While we are at it; the City should allow all 2 wheelers to park in any legal parking spot for free. Simply ask riders to park as many bikes in as few parking spots as possible. 2 Major benefits: 1. Low cost--just marketing as no special spots would have to be created. 2. Easily open many parking spots.

Hey Cassidy, You can often find cool events by checking out Sacramento's Master Community Calendar at www.InMyCommunity.com

Mr. Simpson, I am not clear what you mean in your first sentence "Yes I did ask who would be best for the District?, but I was trying to be more positive." Why wouldn't answering the question directly be positive? Also, many of the candidates "listen to the community, to other leaders in the community"; so we all need more information than that to make our choices. The larger question is what makes a person the best choice for an office. What makes one qualified, for example, to be a City Council member? Listening is certainly important but not sufficient. So, again, I ask, "where's the beef?".

I live in District 5 (Patrick Kennedy's race) and hoped to learn from your remarks. However, you gave scant reason form me to make a choice. You piece reads like campaign literature. So, he is a good and active dad; okay but does that make him the best choice for City Council? Have you looked carefully at the other candidates while asking, who would be best for the District?

To TheFaceman, you comment indicates that you think Hammond should be endorsed by women because she is a woman; is that correct? I don't think a gay man should be endorsed automatically by a a LGBT organization just because he is gay. But, if qualified, then certainly. As long as any group is outside the power structure, supporters need to rally around their qualified candidates. I think our goal should be to elect the best person for the seat. Who or what is best for the community should become our mantra.

Good job reporting--just the facts within a nicely established context. I think you accurately got the sense of the event. One minor point, the sign-in sheet shows 63 people were there not 40. Thanks for the great work.

We are all smart enough to know that many of us work for or own a business, benefit from business and have strong views on the type of businesses we tend to support. We are also smart enough to know that we are all residents. As such we are all affected by the fabric of our neighborhoods--the illusive balance of business with residential living. We all have a stake in how our city looks, feels, operates and develops. Clearly there is great passion in Sacramento. You see it from those in the business community and from residents in our many neighborhoods. Often the passion is expressed negatively and seen as an obstruction to development. Much of this passion would and could be expressed positively if the City did not pit one group against another. For example, the City could be working with neighborhood groups to facilitate discussions of the types of businesses are needed in each neighborhood. Block by block. We should have a clear vision of what our areas should look like. Another very easy tool to implement is a system of early notification. I know we have some semblance of one but it is not nearly as effective as it should be. Residents should know what is being proposed as soon as it is proposed. Neighborhood Associations should be the first stop for developers for true consultations, not presentations. Question: Do you agree and if so, what, specifically, will you engage residents, businesses and developers to a truly consultive process?

Terrific story, Casey, Thank you for the coverage. Michael