Every now and then, a big bag of rejected fortune cookies will mysteriously appear in my office break room. Picture a party-sized bag of tortilla chips, except instead of chips, there is mountain of flat, round, sugary-baked discs resting atop a confetti of those familiar fortune notes. In my workplace, these bags pop up frequently enough to get me wondering, “Where are these things coming from, who is messing up all these fortune cookies, and why the heck are they so fresh and delicious?” On the tail end of that thought, I reached down to the bottom of the bag and grabbed a fortune: “When the mind is backed by will, miracles happen,” it read. A sign, right? So, putting my mind and wi

It’s no secret that the teenage years of life can be full of stress. There is enough anxiety, worry, and frustration to overwhelm you– and that’s just if you are the parent of one. This is where Elk Grove Unified School District’s Parent University offers a helping hand. Aimed at connecting them with their child's education, the Parent University provides classes with useful techniques for parents as their children head into some of the most tumultuous and formative years of their lives. Edward Harris, Jr. Middle School,recently hosted one Parent University class deemed, “Communicating with Adolescents & Resolving Conflicts, Bullying, and Sexual Harassment.” On a cold, shiver-inducing e

The city of Elk Grove, which outsources its public works services rather than hiring its own staff, is expected to see a new primary contractor take over the city’s municipal service reins this week. Last October, the city council approved awarding the multimillion dollar contract to Willdan Engineering, a firm that provides outsourcing services to cities nationwide. The company outbid Interwest Consulting Group, the city’s largest primary contracted services provider since 2002. Interwest previously provided 45 employees to the city for ongoing public projects and is working with both the city and Willdan to transfer some of those workers. According to Richard W. Shepard, Elk Grove’s p

City officials and leaders from local environmental groups held a press conference this morning to present their priorities for pesticide reform to the incoming administration for Governor-elect Jerry Brown. City Councilmember Rob Fong joined a coalition of farm workers’ rights, children’s health, and other environmental groups to promote a plan they call, “Healthy Children and Green Jobs: A Platform for Pesticide Reform.” The group’s plan focuses on creating “green agricultural and pest-management jobs,” while advocating against the use of controversial agricultural pesticides like methyl iodide. “It is a really important push to get pesticides out of our environment,” said Councilmembe

Compliment Booth to open in Sacramento, Second Saturday, May 8th, 2010. PRESS RELEASE. Please note: this is not a journalistic article, but rather a shameless promotion. However, reading on may serve you very well. Revelers of the popular Second Saturday Art Walk will have the chance to stop by Sacramento’s first ever Compliment Booth and receive a little boost of self-esteem this coming Saturday. It’s all part of an original idea by local resident and artist, Anthonie Maldonado - who along with the Compliment Booth’s co-creators - will set up stake somewhere along J Street near the MARRS complex depending on available space. Visitors to the booth will have the opportunity to take in a