Top priority topics in the June 8 election for District 3 include the budget, creating more jobs and becoming more business friendly, according to the candidates. "Unless we grapple with (the budget), we can't get other things done," incumbent Steve Cohn said. Chris Little said creating jobs is the most important issue. "(Sacramento is) the Silicon Valley for medicine," he said. "(It's a matter of) taking what we have right here and leveraging it." Shawn Eldredge said that Sacramento needs to focus on business. "It's about re-creating a healthy downtown core that's business friendly, for not only large corporations, but all small business, too," he said. "We need to be a city that emb

Mayor Kevin Johnson proposed his green initiative plans to the public during a press conference Tuesday afternoon at the California Museum. The long-term goal of the plan is to make Sacramento known as the national green leader in economic and environmentally friendly usages. His vision: to transform the region into "Emerald Valley." "(California is) a state where dreams are made," Johnson said. "I strongly believe Sacramento can be the national leader in the green movement." Around 300 attendees packed the conference room and were from all walks of life, varying from media to general public. The majority of those in attendance were supportive of the plan. "I am a very economically caut

Friday marked the day many local musicians and fans had been waiting for: the first show of the 2010 Concerts in the Park series. The 15-week-long summer event takes place annually at Cesar Chavez Plaza at 5 p.m. every Friday. It is free and all-ages. There are also booths complete with henna tattoos and food to purchase, and a beer garden for those 21 and up. This year, 31 bands will take the stage. Friday, four of those bands showed the crowd what they were made of, and the weather couldn't have been more perfect. The four bands were SIMPL3JACK, Dog Party, The Kelps and Kepi Ghoulie. Alternative punk rock band SIMPL3JACK kicked off the series by opening the show. All the age of 12, th

Friday marks the kickoff of the 2010 Concerts in the Park series at Cesar Chavez Plaza, located on 10th and J streets. Concerts in the Park is an annual free, all-ages event that runs during the summer at 5 p.m. every Friday and features local bands of various genres. Leading off this year's series is a lineup of four bands that fall under the indie/punk/hard rock genre. Headlining the show is none other than local legend and pop punk artist, Kepi Ghoulie. Bassist and lead vocalist of the former band, The Groovy Ghoulies, Kepi has continued his musical career and kept his fans. The full band consists of Kepi as guitar and vocals, Dino as bass and vocals, and Atom as drums and vocals. Fri

As summer approaches, so do opportunities for more outdoor events. Cesar Chavez Plaza, located on 10th and J streets, is a hot spot for these events because of its convenient location and friendly atmosphere. I Heart Art Craft Market is an event that will take place at the park from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. every Thursday from May 6 through Oct. 28. Put on by the nonprofit Downtown Sacramento Partnership, I Heart Art is an arena of opportunity for the community to come together and showcase their arts and crafts. “We came up with the idea for I Heart Art at one of our meetings,” Downtown Sacramento Partnership Events manager Annie Stuckert said. It was a collaborative idea of our staff.” 2009 wa