On Tuesday night The Capitol Creative Collective in partnership with the Downtown Sacramento Partnership hosted their first Idea Fair. The event, which was hosted at The Mix at 16th and L streets, provided a forum for local architects to showcase their vision for future downtown development. Several dozen architects and interested individuals attended the intimate event which was held on The Mix's second-floor patio. “We wanted to give people an opportunity to get excited about their city,” said Lisa Martinez of the Downtown Sacramento Partnership. “The projects are more of a show and tell. This forum is a great place for people to learn and get inspired.” Projects ranging from the cr

The Northern California Chapter of American Political Items Collectors held a small fair at Sierra 2 Center in Curtis Park. The event on Sunday attracted an enthusiastic group willing to brave the stormy weather. "I started the Obama Political Items Collectors about a year ago," said Cary Jung. "The Obama campaign was so grass roots, people were making items out of their garage and bedrooms." Jung said his interest in political collectibles began more than 40 years ago. "I've been collecting since '64 during the Lyndon Johnson campaign." Like Jung, many of those at the event are lifelong collectors. Fred Jorgensen said he began collecting Kellogg's pep pins when he was a youngster. The

The story of Sacramento's rapid development from remote frontier city to hub of the modern Central Valley is rich and storied. It's easy to forget that 65 years ago trolley cars criss-crossed Sacramento's bustling streets. Not too long before that, areas such as East Sacramento and Land Park were unincorporated farmland. Since 1953, the Center for Sacramento History, the city and county's official archive, has collected and preserved artifacts that tell Sacramento's colorful story. But it's not just a repository. The center allows researchers to duplicate its vast collection of video, photographs and documents for a modest fee. Recently it partnered with Zazzle, an Internet company, to

Runners of the 27th Annual California International Marathon passed through East Sacramento on a crisp Sunday morning. Photo credit: anthonybento.com

The First Annual Sacramento Parade of Lights began at 17th and Capitol on Saturday evening.  An eclectic group of participants and onlookers crowded the mile-long route. For larger-sized images please visit: anthonybento.com

"I see us potentially losing some of the volunteer base," said Supervisor Don Notolli at Tuesday's board meeting. "The human contact for the seniors is [currently] happening five times a week ... that day-to-day contact is important." Despite concerns, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved changes Tuesday designed to save the popular Meals on Wheels program. In 2010, hundreds of seniors will no longer receive daily hot meal visits. A plan drafted by the county's Department of Human Assistance will save the county $917,000. It will cut $680,000 from the program and shift $237,000 to the state's Medi-Cal program. The changes will become effective Dec. 31. The pl

On the evening of Nov. 25, Mayor Kevin Johnson kicked off the first annual Old Sacramento Theatre of Lights with the ceremonial lighting of the Old Sacramento Christmas Tree.  For more information regarding this ongoing event, visit: oldsacramento.com. Photography: anthonybento.com

On Sunday, eight volunteers from the Midtown Neighborhood Association spent their afternoon beautifying Winn Park. For more information on the Midtown Neighborhood Association, visit: sacmidtown.org

This weekend, more than 250 artisans from throughout the country will display more than 24,000 arts and crafts at Cal Expo. From Nov. 20 - 22, the Sacramento Harvest Festival will offer the community shopping and entertainment. "We have people that come specifically for a vendor," said Liz Stigge, festival communications officer. "It's great to have that community interaction." The Sacramento Harvest Festival began 37 years ago in San Francisco. According to Stigge, individual artists, who were part of a national crafting movement in the 1970s, created the festival as forum to collectively display their work and interact with the community. Since then, the festival has expanded to eig

Waiting to receive the county's free H1N1 flu vaccine, hundreds of Sacramentans queued outside of Loaves and Fishes on Wednesday. “I'm thankful that they have this,” said Beverly Hoeven, a resident at the Salvation Army's nearby shelter. “I just want to be protected, my daughter is pregnant.” Organizers expected roughly 1,000 people, but they were prepared to service any in need. “There is no shortage,” said Sacramento County Public Health employee Lorence Kuhlman. Residents from throughout the area began waiting more than an hour before the 10-a.m. opening of the clinic. “I've seen what this illness can do, and I can get the shot for free,” said community resident Jennifer Rose. As

Located between a low-income housing project and an old industrial zone south of Broadway, Jedediah Smith Elementary and Arthur A. Benjamin Health Professions High School, both on McClatchy Way, attract few passers-by. Before and after school, however, a swarm of students descend upon the street, which badly strains the neighborhood's infrastructure and places the children's lives at risk. Jean Caruthers has frequently witnessed the street's poor condition. For over two years she has walked her three grandchildren to school along McClatchy Way, and has watched children jaywalk and cars drive by unsafely. "Kids walk out, looking at their shoes, and cars go by very fast," she said. After

The Anti-Cooperation League christened the Sacramento Comedy Spot's new location with a long-from improvisational performance on Friday night. A compelling blend between dry wit, slapstick and quick thinking enthralled the crowd of over 100. During the performance, the comedians welcomed audience volunteers to the stage to share details about their lives. Adeptly transitioning between scenes portraying gambling-obsessed women, lustful elderly men and hypochondriac middle school children, the performers created a series of hilarious scenes inspired by the volunteers' lives. One audience volunteer mentioned that he works at the UC Davis Medical Center and has an affinity for stealing pen

Communications sent to several Sacramento County supervisors during an Oct. 20 meeting reveal a significant disconnect between some union members and their leadership regarding furloughs.  More than 20 e-mails were sent to Supervisors Susan Peters and Jimmie Yee during the meeting, the vast majority of which supported furloughs over firings. "I was never asked by my union rep if I would prefer furloughs over layoff. I was never notified of any meetings," wrote one woman. "Of course I would rather be furloughed than laid off!"  "The meetings that I have gone to seem to be rallies with incomplete information and a slant toward the union's position," wrote one social worker. John Lewis, St

The artists participating in Sacramento's first plein air festival survived a week of chaotic weather to produce a vivid collection of locally inspired paintings. A "plein air festival" celebrates the physical beauty of a place by requiring participants to create artwork depicting aspects of a location within a specific time frame. Participants in the Capitol Plein Air Festival selected locations such as the Crest Theatre and Cezar Chavez Park for inspiration. Others chose lesser known places, such as the Meadowview Light Rail station or simply a wet sidewalk. "All of the work was created since Sunday," explained event organizer Patris Miller at the event's gala, held Friday at the Capi

Thursday Oct. 15: Preparations begin for the California Fire Foundation's annual Firefighters Memorial Ceremony.  The event will be held on Saturday, Oct. 17 at Capitol Park's California Firefighters Memorial.  For more information, visit the CFF website. 10 - 11 a.m. CALPIRG will hold a press conference at the north steps of the Capitol. 12 - 1 p.m.  Jefferson Transitional Programs will hold a anti-stigma performance on the south steps of the Capitol. Friday Oct. 16 No public events scheduled. Photo credit: Anthony Bento

Participants in a town hall meeting on Thursday held at Caleb Greenwood Elementary School expressed skepticism and suspicion about the "strong mayor" proposal endorsed by Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson. "I suspect that it [the strong mayor initiative] is a power grab, but I suspect that something will come out of [the town hall meeting] and I'll be able to make a rational decision," said resident Mike Montgomery. The town hall meeting, which attracted about 50 people, included a thorough presentation of the strong mayor proposal that has been placed on the June 2010 ballot.  The presentation was by members of the Charter Review Committee, a group created by the City Council to research a

Monday Oct. 12: Noon - 1:30 p.m. Kevin S. Carter will read poetry on the north steps of the Capitol. Tuesday Oct. 13: 10 - 10:30 a.m.  Californians Against Higher Taxes will host a press conference at the north steps of the Capitol.   Photo credit: Anthony Bento  

Saturday Oct. 10: 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.  The American Diabetes Association will hold its annual "Step Out: Walk to Fight Diabetes".  Seven-hundred participants are expected and will meet at the west steps of the Capitol and walk along the Capitol Mall and then through Historic Old Town, finishing back at the Capitol.  There will be live entertainment, music and a health and education fair.  To learn more, visit http://stepout.diabetes.org/site/TR/StepOut/StepOut554048010?pg=entry&fr_id=6468. 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.  Grant High School will hold an African American Cultural Rally at the north steps of the Capitol.  Three-hundred participants are expected.   8 a.m. - 4 p.m.  The California State Archive

 Josh Daniels spent his summer trying to survive.  Green Sacramento, his business that specializes in environmentally-sustainable home improvement products, was teetering on the brink of collapse. "It was a crazy summer," he said.  The precipitous decline in the regional housing market and the collapse of the global financial system formed a noxious combination that was difficult to overcome. With community support, however, Daniels persevered and Green Sacramento survived its near-death experience.  "I got a lot of local support," he said. "People realized that they didn't want to lose [Green Sacramento]."  Daniels moved his business from H Street to a new location on 20th Street, be

The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors began deliberations on proposed solutions to the county's $76-million deficit on Tuesday. At the meeting, county officials projected the collection of $59 million in sales tax revenue for the 2009-10 fiscal year.  In the 2007-08 fiscal year, the county collected $80 million. The projection was met with skepticism from board members that have repeatedly reviewed the deteriorating budget during the past 18 months.   "I don't want to be back here again [considering new cuts] because of an overly optimistic projection," said supervisor Roberta MacGlashan. The board failed to find solace in a subsequent report on property tax revenue, which stated