In a record turnout, Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op Board members Ann Richardson and Alicia Dienst were overwhelmingly re-elected, and two Board-backed ballot measures also won lopsided victories in a hotly-contested election where a proposed boycott of Israeli products was a major issue. The two board candidates elected had strongly opposed the boycott, proposed by the Boycott, Divest, and Sanction (BDS) group of Sacramento. Richardson received 1,338 votes and Dienst snared 1,328 ballots, far outpacing BDS-backed candidates Susan Bush (442) and Cody Potter (424). A fifth candidate, Phyllis Ehlert, received 251 votes. Measure 2, which bans the Co-op from discriminating in its practices b

I was reminded today -- despite the divisive controversy generated by the political group, Sacramento Boycott, Sanctions, and Divestment (BDS) at our grocery store -- what the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op is all about. The event was a "Growers Lunch" that the co-op puts on for its hardworking staff every month. Designed to better connect the organic farmers that supply our co-op with our store, today's lunch featured the D.E. Boldt Family http://www.deboldt.com/, a five-generation grower of peaches, plums, and nectarines based in Parlier, California (a rural community outside of Fresno). Begun in 1912, the farm is certified organic and sells approximately 2,000 lbs. of fruit to the co-

In a strongly worded editorial, the Sacramento Bee blasted attempts by a political group to sue the Sacramento Natural Food Coop and its Board of Directors, saying the move is "unnecessarily dividing a flourishing local institution." http://www.sacbee.com/2011/07/08/3755093/co-op-shouldnt-be-in-the-boycott.html "Co-op members ought to be able to make their own shopping decisions. If some feel strongly about the Palestinian cause, then they can opt not to buy matzo, or even bath salts sourced from Israeli waters," says the Bee. "Besides, there are more proper – and far more effective – forums for presenting views on the Mideast than the aisles of a grocery store. Not everything has to be a

For nearly 40 years, the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op http://www.sacfoodcoop.com/ has been a strong asset to our community. A fundamental principle of our owner-governed cooperative is that anyone in our community can become an owner without gender, social, racial, religious discrimination — and no matter what their political opinion is. It is in our Bylaws, and, in fact, is one of the Rochdale principles that lead to the founding of the first Co-ops in England more than 100 years ago. Unfortunately, a local group political group, Sacramento Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions Working Group (SacBDS), has targeted our Co-op in attempt to change the core principle of keeping political opinions

Since the Sacramento Press made its splash on our city's media scene, I've contributed a dozen or so articles and made somewhere in the neighborhood of 125+ comments. I've written about the best burger in town, the arts, and, of course, politics. I've worn my Sacpress.com T-shirt proudly (thanks guys!) and patronized advertisers. But you won't see my contributions here for awhile because of the Sacramento Press' "terms of use" policy regarding comments. Let me explain. The Sacramento Press allows comments to be made by the site's visitors with screen names, not their real names (though some, like me, use their real names). This hides the identity of comment posters, and, as a result, giv

The Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op www.sacfoodcoop.com/ is helping the "slow money" movement -- a grassroots effort modeled on the Obama campaign's effort to get small donations ($5 in this case) to help seed a new economy. SNFC General Manager Paul Cultera told the Co-op's Board of Directors at its meeting Tuesday night that he recently spoke at the first Slow Money conference, which attracted more than 450 attendees from 34 states and six countries. The Slow Money effort, he said, is modeled on the "Slow Food" movement, which promotes local farms and keeping money in the local economy. Its goal, he explained, is to link Americans together to fund local food systems, improve health, redu

First, the bad news: Nationwide Freezer Meats, which wins kudos for being Sac's best burger www.yelp.com/biz/nationwide-freezer-meats-sacramento, is closing for the first 10 days of September. The good news: Beginning on Friday, September 11th, you can get its famous "French burger" (the standard) for $3.99. That's three bucks off the normal price. I'm not too passionate about my burgers (trying to wean myself off meat, which isn't easy in the summer), but when I do indulge, this is the place to do it. And here's another bargain: the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op will have another "Anti-Depression Friday" this Friday. Everything in the store is 10 percent off all day long. And you don'

It's back: Midtown Cocktail Week, slated for August 10-16, 2009.  As its website notes http://midtowncocktailweek.org/, "Midtown Cocktail Week Sacramento launched in 2008 as the brainchild of mixologist Erick Castro, President of the San Francisco chapter of the USB, and restaurant maven Joe Anthony Savala from Zocalo. These two friends and colleagues noticed what was happening in San Francisco with an entire city celebrating the cocktail and the people who create them. Now, MCW has grown into a collaboration that will provide a wonderful experience to everyone that attends." The event kicks off at L Street Lounge at 6 on August 10th, with the night wrapping up at a penthouse party acros

It's official: the initiative to change Sacramento's city charter and modernize its city government has qualified for an upcoming ballot. http://www.capradio.org/articles/articledetail.aspx?articleid=6927. More than 50,000 qualified signatures of Sacramento voters were verified by election officials.  But now what? With citizen initiatives at the state level, once a petition qualifies, it appears on the next ballot. Which makes perfect sense: since voters are trying to go around the Legislature, the Legislature is powerless to stop a citizen initiative from appearing on the ballot But not here in Sacramento. The City Council gets to decide when it appears on the ballot. So it could be d

NBC's prime time news show, "Dateline," http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032600/, will feature a profile on Mayor Kevin Johnson on Sunday. It will air locally on KCRA, Channel 3, beginning at 7 p.m. The show's crew was here two weeks ago, filming Johnson during his daily routine at City Hall and in community meetings. They also interviewed him at the Forty Acres Gallery in Oak Park. His mother, known as "Mother Rose" was interviewed, and film crews also spent some time with neighbors in the area. "Dateline" is the latest television crew to film the Mayor. He says the national exposure will help boost the city's visibility on the national scene and hopefully attract additional economic develo

It may be the best kept secret in politics: there's a statewide special election on May 19th that could have a greater impact on Sacramento's schools, fire stations, and budget than anything they're doing down at City Hall. This special election is all about the state budget: the gaping $58 billion hole, and how the Governor and Legislature will go about fixing it. It includes new taxes, shifting of funds, the payback of funds to schools, and "modernizing" the state lottery so that it brings in more cash. Led by Sacramento's own State Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, the California Teachers Association (CTA), and the California Professional Firefighters Association, the pro-re

It won't be anything like the coronation of now-President Barack Obama at last year's Democratic National Convention in Denver, but this weekend's California Democratic Party jamboree here in Sacramento will provide a huge fix for the Golden State's political junkies. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will lead the cast of Blue State superstars that will be on hand. She'll be joined by Mayor Kevin Johnson, who will kick off the convention with a welcoming speech, no doubt noting that the convention and its 3,000 delegates are expected to inject about $1 million into our local economy (hey, Democrats are big spenders, right?!). State Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg also will be address

Singapore. Kailua, Hawaii. And Sacramento? Yes, our hometown has made the Los Angeles Times' "most underrated places of the world" list. Compiled by the newspaper's travel staff, the list includes spots around the world as great places to visit that usually don't make the covers of the glossy travel magazines. But why Sacramento? The Times says it's a great day trip, full of history and beauty. And the newspaper is right: Here's an excerpt from the Times http://travel.latimes.com/articles/la-trw-underrated19-2009apr19: Why people ignore it: Just 80 miles from the breezy, self-consciously quaint tourist magnet of San Francisco, Sacramento is anything but. Saddled with hot summers, a dy

When the Seattle-based Starbucks Corporation decided to shutter its Oak Park store on Stockton Boulevard, it sent shock waves throughout the neighborhood. The Oak Park coffee shop is more than just a place to grab a cup of Joe; it's a community hang out. Civic groups meet there, art lovers visiting the 40 Acres gallery next door linger during Second Saturday, and it's one of the few places in North Oak Park where neighbors can get together. Vice Mayor Lauren Hammond, Mayor Johnson, and community activists have been in touch with Starbucks to ask the company to reverse its decision. So far, the corporation isn't budging, saying it needed to close the store (along with more than 400 nation

Talk about election fatigue. The last general election was just a few months ago. And though most voters aren't even aware of it yet, our tv's and mailboxes will be full of campaign propaganda for a statewide special election scheduled for May 19th. Beyond that, however, the 2010 campaigns for governor and legislature are already underway, particularly here in Sacramento, where an all-out battle for the California State Assembly seat being vacated by termed-out Assemblymember Dave Jones has begun to heat up. First, a bit of background. The District 9 Assembly seat, which encompasses the City of Sacramento and some Sacramento County turf, is safely Democratic. The winner of the June 2010

Attention Bargain Shoppers: the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op is launching "Anti-Depression Fridays" where shoppers (including non-members) can get 10 percent off everything in the store. This Friday, April 2nd, is the first of what the Co-op hopes will be an effort to help families on a budget. And they're having a little fun with the promotion: "The all natural stimulant for your economic blues!," says its flyer. "Possible side effects may include: healthier diet, tastier meals, more money in your pocket, fewer chemicals in your body." The Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op has, according to Yelp! comments, the best natural foods selection in the city, as well as the best local produce. A

Last week it was Oprah. Today it was CNN. And on Monday morning, NBC's "Today" show will focus on Sacramento's growing homeless population. NBC crews will be in Sacramento on Saturday and Sunday to do their special report. They plan to interview officials from Loaves & Fishes, several other nonprofits, and city officials, including Mayor Kevin Johnson. Sacramento has become the focus of a mini-media frenzy because of a sharp rise in its homelessness population. The jump in home foreclosures has left hundreds of families (yes, children too) without homes. The sudden jump in homelessness has overwhelmed nonprofit providers and resulted in a virtual "tent city" along the American River. Las

It's about time. On Tuesday night, the Sacramento City Council voted 6-3 to make it a crime to dig thru recycling and waste bins. (City Council members Fong, McCarty and Pannell were the votes against it).  Anyone who lives in Midtown, downtown, East Sac, Land Park, and other areas will appreciate the new ordinance. That's because stealing recyclable materials has become a full-time activity for plenty of folks -- and a headache for those of us who live in the city. During the past few years, the problem of bin raiding has gone from bad to worse.  A few months ago, a friend in Midtown told me how the scavengers had taken to jumping his fence and coming into his backyard to go after the