Newest articles on The Sacramento Press written by Colleen Belcher

Intro to Photojournalism Workshop Feb. 21

2012-02-07T01:08:27Z

Photographs are an important part of storytelling and can often tell a story on their own. After a brief workshop hiatus, our first Sacramento Press workshop for 2012 will be on photojournalism. (The Journalism Open workshop wasn't a typical workshop for us.)

John Hernandez will teach an introductory photojournalism workshop from 6:30 - 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21 at the Sacramento Press office called "Introduction to Photojournalism."

Hernandez is a Sacramento-based photographer. He has professional experience in wedding, portrait and social documentary photography as well as various multimedia platforms, including audio slideshows. He has freelanced for ABS-CBN, a Filipino American news channel, and interned at The Sacramento Press. He has a journalism degree and Asian American studies minor from San Francisco State University.

He will discuss photojournalism – what it is and what it isn’t. Hernandez will also talk about equipment, tips for shooting and demonstrate how to make an audio slideshow.

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107, in the Sacramento Valley Station station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks.

We recommend you find parking on the street, bike or take light rail, as the Amtrak parking lot charges, and we cannot cover the cost of parking.

To RSVP, email workshops@sacramentopress.com. If you RSVP and decide later not to attend, please send us an email to notify us that you will not be coming so we can have an accurate head count.

Thanks, and we hope to see you here!

Video Storytelling Tips and Shortcuts Workshop Sept. 22

2011-09-07T21:17:19Z

Thank you to everyone who attended Jeffrey Callison's workshop on "The Art and Craft of Interviewing" last month. If you missed the workshop, you can read the recap and watch the video here.

The Sacramento Press has another first-time workshop presenter for September: KXTV News10 Reporter George Warren.

Multimedia journalist Andrew Nixon taught a workshop in July titled "Intro to Video Storytelling;" we'll resume the topic of video storytelling with Warren's workshop: "Video Storytelling Tips and Shortcuts."

The workshop will be from 6:30 - 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22, at The Sacramento Press office.

Warren will discuss how to produce memorable stories with minimum time and effort. Warren will go over how to do more (interviewing, shooting and editing videos) with less - a staff of one.

Warren just celebrated his 30th anniversary as an Emmy-winning reporter/multimedia journalist with KXTV News10.

He started in the business by shooting his own stories in a small market (on 16mm film!) and in recent years has come full circle - working by himself once again.

Badges will be awarded to participants for attending the workshop. To become a verified community contributor, please bring a government-issued ID.

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107, in the Amtrak station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks.

We recommend you find parking on the street, bike or take light rail, as the Amtrak parking lot charges $2 per half hour, and we cannot cover the cost of parking. If you take light rail, we will give you two passes when you get here - one to cover your trip here and one to cover your trip back.

To RSVP, email workshops@sacramentopress.com. If you RSVP and decide later not to attend, please send us an email to notify us that you will not be coming so we can have an accurate head count.

Thanks, and we hope to see you here!

SacPress on Insight: Chickens, redistricting and fish bowls

2011-08-31T01:17:31Z

I filled in for David Watts Barton Tuesday morning for the weekly segment of The Sacramento Press on Capital Public Radio's “Insight,” and Jeffrey Callison and I talked about chicken keeping, a record-setting City Council meeting on redistricting and a few fun additions to the central city – including a restaurant that serves drinks in fish bowls.

The Sacramento City Council may pass an ordinance at its meeting Tuesday night that will allow residents to keep up to three egg-laying chickens in their backyards – as long as the chickens are enclosed and the enclosure is 20 feet away from the neighbors’ homes.

Residents would need to apply for a permit and pay to renew it each year. There is a $15 fee per household and $10 fee per chicken.

The Department of Animal Care Services will be responsible for enforcing the ordinance, however, the department won’t get involved unless neighbors make complaints.

The Maydestone Building renovation is set to be completed in mid-September after roughly a year of construction.

The D&S Development, Inc., project cost $7 million, and tenants are expected to start renting Oct. 1.

The four-story building houses 32 units, with spaces varying in size from 300 - 700 square feet and rents between $700 and $1500.

Some of the original features of the building were kept intact, including the original windows that use a rope-and-pulley system and restored pull-out beds and dressers. New features include solar-powered water heaters and energy-efficient heating and air conditioning units.

The two-year taxi moratorium in Sacramento – that was enacted Aug. 4 – has caused a lot of stir among commenters on The Sacramento Press.

We decided to look into it further and find out why the city staff proposed a moratorium – where no new taxi permits will be issued – in the first place.

The city was receiving complaints from both cab drivers and businesses that there were too many taxis in Sacramento so city staff decided to study the industry.

There are currently more than 500 taxis in the city of Sacramento – a number that has grown 66 percent since 2004, while the population has grown 8 percent during that time.

City staff will study similar-sized cities to see how Sacramento compares and see how problems like traffic congestion and passenger complaints can be resolved. The study is expected to take two years.

After five hours of public comment and a record 103 people who signed up to give public comment – the City Council approved a revised Neighborhoods 2.0 map Tuesday in a 6-3 vote.

The map draws the district boundaries right down Stockton Boulevard and places the UC Davis Med Center in District 6 instead of in District 5, which outraged many Oak Park residents.

City Hall was a packed house with nearly 500 people attending the council meeting.

The final vote on a new redistricting map will take place Sept. 6.

The unofficial “Mayor of Midtown,” Andy Ekstrom, passed away just over a year ago, and last Wednesday, friends and family gathered at the MARRS building to remember him and dedicate a sculpture in his honor.

Artist Marc Foster created the 10-foot-tall, 9,000-lb. sculpture, which is made of steel and layers of concrete. Funds are currently being raised to help cover the cost of constructing the sculpture. So far, $6,500 has been raised and friends and family are hoping to raise and additional $15,000 to cover the rest of the costs.

BarWest Burgers & Wings at 2724 J St. opened Thursday. It occupies the space where Aura used to be.

The restaurant’s menu emphasizes burgers and wings, and it also has a few interesting dessert items: deep-fried ding dongs and funnel cakes.

Some of the popular alcoholic drinks on the menu are the 64-ounce fish bowls, which come with four long straws and are served in fish bowls.

BarWest has been responsive to customer feedback, reading Yelp! reviews and making adjustments where necessary. Co-owner Trevor Shults said he is working to improve customer service after seeing complaints on Yelp! The menu has also been updated so that fries now come with burgers. Originally, fries had to be ordered separately, but after customers complained about this, Shults said they changed that and increased the price of burgers.

Last but not least, we talked about the Sacramento Man Hunt coming up on Saturday.

More than 200 people have signed up for this tag-like game that begins at 10 p.m. at the entrance to Old Sacramento and ends at midnight at the Safeway on Alhambra Boulevard.

There are two teams of people: runners and chasers. Runners get a seven-minute head start and must travel on foot to the destination, while chasers can get around in any vehicle of their choosing.

Chasers “catch” runners by tagging them with two hands, and once runners have been tagged, they become chasers.

The winner doesn’t receive a prize, just bragging rights.

It's a Peace of Cake! serves up gourmet cake pops

2011-07-30T03:25:41Z

You’ve probably seen cake pops on food blogs or at bridal showers or even at Starbucks. The bite-sized treat is becoming a popular alternative to cupcakes.

South Sacramento resident Wendy Bell has made an online business out of her made-from-scratch cake pops called It’s a Peace of Cake!

After seeing a cake pop recipe online, she decided to make her own version using her five basic cake recipes: lemon, chocolate, vanilla, red velvet and coconut.

Bell crumbles the cake and combines it with frosting, rolling it into a ball and then dips it in a chocolate shell and finishes it off with her signature chocolate swirl.

Each cake pop has a different combination of cake and type of chocolate.

· The Decadent Double Fudge has a milk chocolate shell and a dark chocolate swirl.
· The Deeply Red Velvet (the most popular flavor) is dipped in white chocolate and topped with a chocolate swirl and rainbow sprinkles.
· The Luscious Lemon has a white chocolate shell and lemon swirl.
· The Very Vanilla is dipped in dark chocolate with a white chocolate swirl.
· The Crazy Coconut is dipped in milk chocolate and topped with toasted coconut swirl.

She made a batch of Luscious Lemon cake pops for Mother’s Day last year and shared them with her family.

Her niece Candi Fuller, who works as a sign language interpreter – unbeknownst to Bell – brought them to work the next day.

“Everyone just loved them,” Fuller, 33, said. “They thought it was a great idea – this was before Starbucks had come out with their cake pops, so it was a pretty new concept (then).”

Word of mouth has helped grow the business.

Bell made some for her friend who lives in Brentwood. Her friend brought them with her when she went wine tasting at McGrail Vineyards and Winery.

The owner tried the Decadent Double Fudge cake pop and invited Bell to be a vendor at one of the winery’s events.

Winery president Heather McGrail said a lot of customers kept telling her that the chocolate cake pops went really well with the wine, so the winery invited Bell to a Valentine’s Day event where desserts were paired with specific wines.

The Decadent Double Fudge pop was paired with the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve.

“That specific wine you get a little chocolate flavor as well as dark cherry,” McGrail said. “It complements the moistness of the double fudge cake pop.”

McGrail said she really likes the presentation of the cake pops and plans to have them at future winery events.

“I think the biggest thing is you see them and they’re adorable and then you taste them and they’re even better than they look, which is hard to believe,” she added.

They were a hit with adults, and they were a big hit with kids, too, as Bell found out when she made 300 cake pops for a school function and every last one sold.

“I remember having to run home and get more – it was just crazy,” Bell said.

She officially began the business in September of last year when she got the license.

The name – It’s a Peace of Cake! – reflects the hippie in her, she said.

“I started looking up idioms for cake,” she said. “When ‘it’s a piece of cake’ came up I thought that was so perfect. That’s where I got it.”

But running the business has not been a piece of cake.

“I’ve learned that there are a lot of components that go into building a business – it’s not just the product,” she said.

However, Bell said she enjoys it, especially the baking.

“No matter how much work I put into it I still enjoy it,” she said. “When I can just sit and bake and dip and roll my cake balls … It’s therapeutic to me.”

All of the baking and assembly is done in a kitchen she rents on 16th street.

She makes about 300 cake pops at a time. She spends three-hour blocks in the kitchen and divides the work into three sessions: first, baking the cakes and making the frosting; then, rolling them into balls and dipping them in chocolate; and last, packaging and displays.

Whenever she can, she uses in-season ingredients such as eggs or lemons from the farmers market. She also uses recycled gift boxes.

Because of the chocolate coating (she uses Guittard melting chocolate), the cake pops should be kept refrigerated.

They last about two weeks in the refrigerator or a month in the freezer, she said.

Yummy Yogurt Cafe on J street recently started selling her cake pops.

Rod Avery, lead partner of the Yummy Yogurt Cafe J Street location, said that as a newly opened business, they were looking to carry other items like pastries in addition to their yogurt.

“It was a good fit for us,” he said. “I’m a small business owner (so) I support small business owners where I can.”

The cake pops are featured in the display case near the register. The cake pops are $2.50 each and come individually wrapped.

Yummy Yogurt Cafe General Manager Samanthia Warren said the cake pops are popular.

“You’re really getting the freshest cake pop around,” she said. “It’s a nice little treat (but it’s also) kind of health-conscious” because the portion is small.

“Not all of us ladies like to give up our cake,” she added.

For now Bell does not have a storefront and operates her business solely online. Cake pops can be ordered by the dozen for $2.50 each or in larger quantities for a discounted price.

She said lately she’s been getting orders for bridal showers, baby showers and birthday parties.

The cake pops can be customized with different flavors and different colors.

“(If) you’re having a baby shower and you’re having a boy we can customize to blue to fit your theme,” she said.

Bell also does cake towers – where multiple cake pops are arranged in the shape of a cake – which are popular for weddings.

“They’re designed to mimic a wedding cake,” she said. “(You) can add a cake on top or flowers.”

Bell does almost all of the baking herself but she said her family and her three children help out a lot.

She is experimenting with new recipes to incorporate liqueurs in her cake pops and she is also working on a gluten-free recipe.

“My hope is soon to have my own kitchen,” she said, adding that she would like to have one by the end of the year.

When asked if she ever thought she would have her own cake pop business, Bell said, “I knew I wanted to do something with food, I just didn’t know what.”

“It’s kind of taken on a life of its own and I’m going with it,” she added.

Bell did her first public event in Sacramento at the Sacramento Cyclefest Bicycle Show earlier this month. She and her cake pops will be at the 13th annual A Taste of Sacramento Oct. 14.

“I’m looking at that being my Sacramento launch,” she said.

Her niece Fuller said she has yet to meet anyone who doesn’t like her aunt’s cake pops.

“She has the potential to go far with it,” she said of the business. “Hopefully we’ll see it on Food Network one day.”

For more information about It’s a Peace of Cake! or to place an order, visit the website or Facebook page.

The Art and Craft of Interviewing with Jeffrey Callison Aug. 9

2011-07-25T18:27:39Z

The Sacramento Press is excited to announce that Jeffrey Callison will be teaching a workshop at our office in August.

Interviewing is part of the foundation of journalism. It’s how reporters get a lot of their information, including the personal angles and anecdotes that make stories come alive.

But how do you conduct a successful interview?

There are some simple rules, but you also must know when and how to break them.

Jeffrey Callison has interviewed many thousands of people over the years – both as host of Capital Public Radio’s daily program “Insight” and as a reporter. On Tuesday, Aug. 9, from 6:30 - 8 p.m., he’ll discuss “The Art and Craft of Interviewing” in a workshop at the Sacramento Press.

Callison was born in Scotland. He majored in English Literature and Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh and studied improvisational theater at L'Ecole Jacques Lecoq in Paris.

He moved to California in 1989 and started his radio journalism career at public radio station KUSP in Santa Cruz. He joined Capital Public Radio in 1996 as a classical announcer, but soon returned to radio news as a reporter and local "All Things Considered" host. He became KXJZ's news director in 2000, and he was named the first host of “Insight” in 2004.

Badges will be awarded to participants for attending the workshop. To become a verified community contributor, please bring a government-issued ID.

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107, in the Amtrak station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks.

To RSVP, email workshops@sacramentopress.com. If you RSVP and decide later not to attend, please send us an email to notify us that you will not be coming so we can have an accurate head count.

Thanks, and we hope to see you here!

Eppie's Great Race: A race with something for everyone

2011-07-22T02:54:41Z

For John Weed, Eppie’s Great Race – now in its 38th year – serves as a new year’s celebration.

The 58-year-old kayak instructor and whitewater guide has competed in the “no-swim” triathlon 35 times. The 38th annual Eppie’s Great Race takes place Saturday along the American River Parkway and is open to athletes of all ages.

Weed said almost 40 years ago, he was hit by a semi truck while on his bicycle.

Before that, he had been an avid runner. He came from a family of runners and in college would run 200 miles per week.

“The doctors told me I’d never walk again, let alone run,” Weed said.

That same year, the Whitewater Slalom was introduced as an Olympic sport. Weed said he watched it on TV while he was in the hospital and decided that he wanted to try kayaking.

He took up the sport after he got out of the hospital. He is able to walk and run now, but one leg is shorter than the other which requires him to use a special seat in his kayak, he said.

His team has placed first eight times in the open division of Eppie’s Great Race and has been in the 40-plus division for the past 18 years. Weed competes in the kayak portion of the race.

Last year, he said he was the ninth-fastest kayaker.

“I feel like it’s my own personal race,” Weed said. “It’s an annual assessment of where I am now and where I once was.”

Weed and the race’s founder, Eppie Johnson, have become good friends since meeting more than 30 years ago.

“The first time I met (Eppie) was when he was learning to kayak,” Weed said. They met in kayaks near the San Juan rapids.

Weed said he knew Johnson’s kayak instructor, who introduced the two of them. Johnson told Weed about Eppie’s Great Race, and Weed signed up for the race the next year, which was the second annual Eppie’s Great Race.

Weed has been on the U.S. National Wildwater Team. The only other Eppie’s Great Race that Weed missed (besides the first) was in 1980 when the race fell on the same weekend as the USA Wildwater National Championships.

Johnson has sponsored Weed in various competitions, internationally and nationally. Most recently, Johnson sponsored Weed in the Great Josh Billings RunAground Triathlon last year.

Weed’s kayak team placed first, and he was the second fastest kayaker in the race by 58 seconds, he said.

For his 36th race, he said he is excited about the electronic chip timing.

Last year was the first year they had the chips, and he said keeping track of the athletes’ times adds a lot more pressure.

“Now everybody knows how they rank with others,” he said. “Every year before that, the biker would blame the kayaker (etc.) … (and) nobody really knew for sure” what their times were except by going off of their own watches.

The race consists of a 5.82-mile run, a 12.5-mile bike ride along the American River Parkway and finishes on the river, where racers paddle 6.35 miles to the finish.

It begins at 8 a.m. at William Pond Recreation Area and ends at River Bend Park (formerly Goethe Park).

Athletes can compete as part of a team, where each person does one leg of the race, or as an Ironman where one person does the entire race.

All proceeds from the race go to Sacramento County Therapeutic Recreation Services (TRS), which provides Sacramento County with sports and recreation activities for people with disabilities and impairments.

In 2010, which was a record-breaking year with nearly 2,100 athletes participating, $20,000 was raised for TRS and, to date, nearly $1 million has been raised for the organization.

Water flow in the river, which has been much faster this year because of all of the rain, is expected to be at the same levels as last year, according to a July 8 Eppie’s Great Race press release.

"Based on currently available information, (the Bureau of) Reclamation expects our releases to the lower American River on race day to be about 4,500 to 5,000 cubic feet per second - comparable to that of last year,” according to the release.

“But, it is important to recognize that reservoir operations and releases to the river are based on developing conditions and needs," Bureau of Reclamation spokeswoman Lynnette Wirth said in the press release.

There will be a prerace expo from 4 - 8 p.m. Friday at River Bend Park at Goethe Park Road and Rod Beaudry Road. The Old Spaghetti Factory will provide a “carbo-load” dinner, Eppie’s Great Race spokesperson Anita Fitzhugh said. For $7 for adults and $3 for kids 12 and under, the dinner includes salad, bread, spaghetti and a drink.

Those who already registered for the race can pick up their race packets, maps and T-shirts. Last-minute race entrants can register at the expo Friday or from 6:30-7:30 a.m. before the race Saturday.

For kids, there is the US Bank Duathlon where 17-and-under participants run 2 miles and bike 5.75 miles.

After the race, there will be an expo and party from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. with vendor booths, live music by local blues band The Hucklebucks and food available for purchase including chicken sandwiches, hot dogs and sodas.

The 30th anniversary plaque that stood at the starting point of the race was stolen a few months ago, and the Eppie’s Great Race Foundation will be raising funds to replace it. Donations will be accepted at Friday's expo or after the race at River Bend Park.

“What we’re doing is we’re asking people to donate some money so we can get a new one: something that can’t be stolen,” Johnson said, adding that he expects it will cost between $3,500 and $4,000 to replace it.

There are 30 different divisions of the race, including a firefighter/police division, family division, women 50-plus and a recently added men 60-plus.

“We have a committee that works all year round and every year, if necessary, they improve on rules, adjust rules.... As far as division in the race we recently even added a men’s 60-plus category because of the interest of men in that age range,” Fitzhugh said.

Johnson said he thinks Eppie’s Great Race has grown to be so popular in large part because of the venue.

“The key is the format, the venue. The American River Parkway is Sacramento’s jewel. And the whole thing is on the parkway system. People love that,” he said

One thing that has changed over the years is the individual athleticism, Fitzhugh said.

“It is interesting (that) our number of Ironpeople, Ironwomen, Ironmen – that division really is growing at a very rapid pace compared to teams. We’re finding that more and more people are wanting to take on the entire race themselves,” she added.

One athlete who will be switching from competing on a team to competing as an Ironman is Folsom resident David Lockwood.

The 28-year-old was the cyclist for his team last year. Lockwood said his work as a coach and trainer at Folsom City CrossFit has prepared him to do the whole race.

“I feel like I’m in shape. I feel like I have a good chance of doing well,” he said. However, “if there was a swim involved, I would reconsider doing an Ironman.”

Lockwood said he enjoys the scenery of the course.

“You can’t beat the course.... It’s beautiful – whether you’re running or kayaking or biking, that trail is awesome.”

He also said he liked the variety of people who take part in the race.

“You (see) all different walks of life as far as athletes go,” he said. “I was riding next to kids on mountain bikes and … guys with track bikes … everybody was out there. It’s kind of an everybody event.”

For more information on Eppie’s Great Race 38, click here.

Intro to Video Storytelling Workshop July 27

2011-07-18T22:13:19Z

We had a great turnout for our sports writing workshop earlier this month. Thanks to Sam Amick and those who attended. To read the workshop recap, click here.

Video is an important part of storytelling that can be difficult to incorporate without the right equipment and editing knowledge. Andrew Nixon will teach a video workshop from 6:30 - 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 27 at the Sacramento Press office called "Introduction to Video Storytelling."

Nixon is a Sacramento-based multimedia journalist. He has professional experience in photojournalism, as well as various multimedia platforms, including motion graphics, web platforms, and video journalism. He has freelanced for Patch.com and interned at the Sacramento News & Review. He also worked as a staff photographer for Gold Country Media.

He will discuss the capture and editing of footage to create compelling video stories. The workshop will be geared more toward Mac compatible programs, but he can answer questions about other equipment and editing software.

In August, Capital Public Radio's Jeffrey Callison will teach a workshop called "The Art and Craft of Interviewing." A separate email invitation will be sent for that workshop later this month.

Badges will be awarded to participants for attending the workshop. To become a verified community contributor, please bring a government-issued ID.

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107, in the Amtrak station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks.

We recommend you find parking on the street, bike or take light rail, as the Amtrak parking lot charges $2 per half hour, and we cannot cover the cost of parking. If you take light rail, we will give you two passes when you get here - one to cover your trip here and one to cover your trip back.

This workshop is filling up fast and will probably have a waiting list. To RSVP, email workshops@sacramentopress.com. If you RSVP and decide later not to attend, please send us an email to notify us that you will not be coming so we can have an accurate head count.

Thanks, and we hope to see you here!

Moonshine cocktail competition at Shady Lady Saloon

2011-07-18T21:47:28Z

Shady Lady Saloon will add a new white whiskey to its menu called Original Moonshine Clear Corn Whiskey, and to help introduce it, a cocktail competition will be held at 6 p.m. Monday.

White whiskey is different from other whiskey in that it hasn’t been aged in the barrel, or if it has, it’s not for very long, Shady Lady co-owner Jason Boggs said.

There are no guidelines for the competition – just that the bartenders use the Moonshine corn-based whiskey as the main spirit.

Three judges will decide which cocktails win first, second and third prizes, with rewards of $500, $300 and $200, respectively.

The three judges are Chris Dooley, ~~head spirits director~~ bar manager at Ella ~~L Wine Lounge~~ ; Sara Berry of Southern Wine & Spirits and Michael Keltsch, a representative from Moonshine.

“For me, it’s going to be hilarious and fun,” Boggs said. “(The bartenders) have been here all last week practicing.”

He said the bartenders will compete, one at a time, to make a cocktail for the judges.

“You’re gonna see all sorts of creative syrups, smoked ice and (homemade) tinctures,” he added.

Dezi Bush is one of the bartenders competing. She has worked at Shady Lady since February.

“I’ve been obsessing over this cocktail and having nightmares about it,” Bush said.

“It was a hard spirit to work with because it’s a corn whiskey. A lot of ingredients I put in it lost the integrity of the spirit,” she said.

“I feel like everyone who works here is a cocktail geek,” she said and added that she thinks there will be some tough competition.

From 4 p.m. - close, there will be five different Moonshine specialty cocktails available for $5:

Virginia Peach – summer peach muddled with Moonshine, fresh lemon juice, Falernum and fortified wine
Dogwood – blackberries, lemon juice, Moonshine and Aperol. Garnished with a blackberry nested in a lemon peel
Swamp Fire – Rosemary leaves, cola syrup, ginger syrup, lime juice, aromatic bitters and Moonshine
Golden Spike – Cognac, Jasmine Tea Syrup, citrus, Moonshine and spiced bitters
Surveyor’s Cup – Mint leaves, maraschino, Orgeat syrup, lemon juice, celery bitters and Moonshine

Patrons can also order any of the new drinks made during the competition Monday and going forward.

“(It’ll be) a great time to see some great bartenders battle it out,” Boggs added.

Shady Lady Saloon is located at 1409 R St.

Editorial Note: A correction has been made to this story after it was published. The incorrect information has been struck out and the correct information has been added.

Sam Amick to teach Sports Writing Workshop July 12

2011-06-29T08:48:50Z

Thanks to those of you who came to our Bias in Journalism workshop earlier this month. If you missed it, you can read the recap here.

For July, we are excited to announce a new workshop presenter – Sam Amick.

With the Sacramento River Cats season well under way, the Sacramento Capitals tennis team starting in July and the buzz building for the next Sacramento Kings basketball season – there will be plenty of sports stories to be covered on The Sacramento Press and on blogs, etc.

Amick will teach a workshop on sports writing at the Sacramento Press office from 6:30 - 8 p.m. July 12.

Amick is currently an NBA columnist for Sports Illustrated at SI.com.

He received his degree in journalism from Sacramento State in 2000. He began working in The Sacramento Bee's sports department on a part-time basis during his final two years of school, then returned after a short internship at The Record in Stockton during the summer of 2000.

He became a full-time member of the writing staff in 2002 and covered everything from high school sports, college sports, pro baseball and pro football before turning his attention to the NBA in 2004.

He was the beat writer for the Kings from 2005-2010 before taking a national job covering the league at AOL FanHouse and eventually landing at SI.com.

Badges will be awarded to participants for attending the workshop. To become a verified community contributor, please bring a government-issued ID.

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107, in the Amtrak station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks.

We recommend you find parking on the street, bike or take light rail, as the Amtrak parking lot charges $2 per half hour, and we cannot cover the cost of parking. If you take light rail, we will give you two passes when you get here – one to cover your trip here and one to cover your trip back.

To RSVP for this workshop, email workshops@sacramentopress.com. If you RSVP and decide later not to attend, please send us an email to notify us that you will not be coming so we can have an accurate head count.

Thanks, and we hope to see you there!

Sac Press Tools and Tricks workshop May 26

2011-05-13T23:28:51Z

Thanks to those of you who attended our review writing panel Thursday with Rachel Leibrock, Carla Meyer and Nick Miller. Read the workshop recap here.

We will have another workshop this month titled, "Sac Press Tools and Tricks." Geoff Samek, vice president of product for The Sacramento Press, will highlight some of the newer and lesser-known features of the website.

Samek will also give a quick overview of important web technologies that come in handy in the current media world. He will answer any questions you may have about the site and its functionality and features.

The workshop will be from 6:30 - 8 p.m. May 26 at our office.

Badges will be awarded to participants for attending the workshop. To become a verified community contributor, please bring a government-issued ID.

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107, in the Amtrak station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks.

We recommend you find parking on the street, bike or take light rail, as the Amtrak parking lot charges $2 per half hour, and we cannot cover the cost of parking. If you take light rail, we will give you two passes when you get here – one to cover your trip here and one to cover your trip back.

Thanks, and we hope to see you there!

Review writing panel May 12 with Rachel Leibrock, Carla Meyer and Nick Miller

2011-05-04T05:45:12Z

With Concerts in the Park kicking off Friday and the California Music Circus season around the corner, there will be lots of opportunities to review shows, both indoors and outdoors.

Looking to share your great or not-so-great experiences with others? The Sacramento Press will hold a panel on review writing at our office from 6:30 - 8 p.m. Thursday, May 12. Three panelists will teach you the do’s and don’ts of review writing and share some of their own experiences.

This is a great opportunity to ask the pros how they review concerts, theater, comedy and other performances.

The three panelists are Rachel Leibrock, Carla Meyer and Nick Miller.

Leibrock writes about arts and culture for the Sacramento News & Review. She also teaches journalism at Sacramento City College and previously worked at The Sacramento Bee as an arts and entertainment writer. You can find some of her work at thursdayafternoongirls.wordpress.com and www.writegrrrl.com.

Meyer is an entertainment writer at The Sacramento Bee. She was The Bee's movie critic from 2005-2009. Carla came to The Bee from the San Francisco Chronicle, where she wrote film reviews and features and co-wrote "Stein & Meyer: Movie Insider," a twice-weekly column about film and the film industry. Meyer also once worked as an assignment editor for the datebook and sports sections of The Chronicle.

Miller edits Sacramento News & Review's news and arts sections and writes a weekly column on the local music scene. He got his start as a distribution driver and is now associate editor.

Badges will be awarded to participants for attending the workshop. To become a verified community contributor, please bring a government-issued ID.

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107, in the Amtrak station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks.

We recommend you find parking on the street, bike or take light rail, as the Amtrak parking lot charges $2 per half hour, and we cannot cover the cost of parking. If you take light rail, we will give you two passes when you get here – one to cover your trip here and one to cover your trip back.

Thanks, and we hope to see you there!

Interviewing Techniques workshop April 7

2011-04-04T21:48:26Z

Thanks to those of you who came to the "Writing about Wine and Spirits" workshop in March. Read the recap here.

We have two journalism workshops planned for April.

Clare Noonan will teach a workshop on interviewing techniques at The Sacramento Press office from 6:30-8 p.m. Thursday, April 7.

Noonan has a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Kentucky. She currently edits 11 East Bay Patch.com sites. She worked at The Modesto Bee for more than 20 years as a reporter for business, news, feature and sports while also copy editing. She also worked as assistant news editor and assistant city editor in charge of the Crime and Safety beat during her time at The Bee. She has been a copy editor for The Sacramento Press.

Noonan has taught other workshops for The Sacramento Press, including "Research and Fact-checking," and "Improve Your Writing with Self Editing."

The workshop will focus on conducting a successful interview, including how to prepare, techniques for putting people at ease and getting them to talk to you, and how to end the interview on a high note.

"Intro to Journalism" is the title of our second workshop in April. Doug Herndon will teach the workshop which will also be held at The Sacramento Press office from 6:30-8 p.m. Tuesday, April 19.

Herndon was an English and journalism professor at Sacramento City College and adviser to the college's newspaper, The Express. He has been a professional writer for more than 15 years and has worked for Sacramento Magazine, The Sacramento News & Review and The Sacramento Bee.

A separate invitation will be sent later for the "Intro to Journalism" workshop.

Badges will be awarded to participants for attending the workshop. To become a verified community contributor, please bring a government-issued ID.

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107, in the Amtrak station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks.

We recommend you find parking on the street, bike or take light rail, as the Amtrak parking lot charges $2 per half hour, and we cannot cover the cost of parking. If you take light rail, we will give you two passes when you get here - one to cover your trip here and one to cover your trip back.

To RSVP for this workshop, email workshops@sacramentopress.com. If you RSVP and decide later not to attend, please send us an email to notify us that you will not be coming so we can have an accurate head count.

Thanks, and we hope to see you there!

Table Talk Sacramento Live Chat today at noon

2011-03-30T14:47:27Z

Today at noon, The Sacramento Bee's Allen Pierleoni will host a live chat with Rick Mindermann of Corti Bros. and John Paul Khoury of Preferred Meats, Inc.

Visit sacbee.com/live from noon - 1 p.m. to ask questions relating to "What's new in the Sacramento food scene?"

The live chat is a preview of what will be discussed at Table Talk Sacramento, April 13. Read more about Table Talk Sacramento here.

Click here to go to the Bee's Live Chat page.

Photo essay: Tequila Museo Mayahuel; soft opening Friday

2011-03-30T05:06:49Z

Monday night, a huge Dia de los Muertos caricature welcomed guests to Tequila Museo Mayahuel on 12th and K streets.

Inside, sugar skulls, candles and marigolds transformed the new tequila museum and restaurant into a Dia de Los Muertos party, called “Subterraneo” put on by Jose Cuervo Tradicional tequila.

The party was a sneak preview of the not-yet-open Tequila Museo Mayahuel. Only those in the restaurant and bar industry were invited.

Jose Cuervo Tradicional is touring cities around the country with the Dia de los Muertos party and selected Sacramento to host Monday’s event.

According to Gina Castillo, tequila ambassador for Jose Cuervo and Don Julio Northern California, Tequila Museo Mayahuel was chosen because Sacramento is an important tequila market and it’s a brand new restaurant that has a tequila museum in it.

This is the first time Jose Cuervo Tradicional has hosted an event in Sacramento.

“(Mayahuel is) a place that’s going to stick to Mexican culture and since Dia de los Muertos is such a Mexican holiday, we wanted to make sure that we had it in a place that made sense,” Castillo said.

Some of Sacramento’s restaurateurs came to check out the new K Street restaurant and bar, including Ali Mackani, owner of Lounge on 20; Billy Ngo, owner of Kru and Red Lotus Kitchen & Bar; and Andrea Martin, who owns Bulls.

TJ Bruce, who owns Badlands and Hot Rods, was also there and said he was enjoying the party.

“It is very rustic. The food is wonderful,” he said. “It’s very clubby. I think a restaurant would do well (having) a club” atmosphere while it was serving food.

“I have a feeling it’s going to be a lot more low-key” normally, he added.

Small bites, or bocadillos, were served from the menu, including

Bruchetas de Rajas con Crema (french bread slices topped with strips of poblano chiles marinated in sour cream);
Dobladitas de Camaron y Queso Manchego (tortillas stuffed with shrimp and ricotta cheese sautéed with onions);
Molletitos de Chorizo y Queso Monterrey (baguette with black refried beans and chorizo and crumbled cheese);
Brochetas de Pollo y Nopal al Guajillo (chicken with cactus, Guajillo chile and mushrooms);
Tostaditas de Chile Ancho y Nopales (tostadas with Ancho chiles, guacamole and cactus);
Tostaditas de Tinga de Pollo (shredded chicken breast cooked in chipotle sauce, served on a tostada);
Panuchos de Cochinita Pibil (pulled pork that’s been cooked in Ancho chiles and citrus sauce on a soft tortilla with refried black beans).

For dessert, they served Mosaico de Flan de Chile Ancho (flan with pasillo peppers) and a mango mousse cake.

Nate Radabaugh, David Tyler and George Boeger came all the way from Chico to see Tequila Museo Mayahuel.

Radabaugh and Tyler said they do security for Chico’s Normal Street Bar, which Boeger owns.

“This is my first time in Sacramento,” Radabaugh said. “It’s a great city – a walking city – I didn’t know what to expect. I like the celebration.”

On display behind the bar were hand-painted Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia tequila boxes.

“Each box is different – different artist, different art,” Mayahuel owner Ernesto Delgado said. “They hired a Mexican artist to paint their box, and each year, they select a new artist to paint the box, and now it’s a series.”

The tequila boxes are the current display for the “museo” (museum) part of the restaurant. The history and culture of tequila will continue to be reflected in the rotating exhibits planned for Mayahuel.

“The idea is that the whole place is going to function and work like a museum,” Delgado said. “(The) one (behind the bar) is obviously the main exhibit, but throughout the entire restaurant we’ll have different exhibits on different walls that will coordinate with events, programs, venues (and) tastings.”

The exhibits will rotate every three months or so, he said.

Bartenders stayed busy serving specialty drinks, which included Trad Fresco, made of Tradicional Silver, simple syrup, grapefruit juice, muddled cucumber and mint leaves; Paloma Mayahuel, which mixed Tradicional Silver, grapefruit juice, agave syrup, lime juice, seltzer water and a pinch of salt; El Beso Ardiente, made of Tradicional Silver, agave syrup, lime juice, Serrano pepper and muddled pepper wheels; and others.

El Beso Ardiente means "the fiery kiss," according to Castillo.

Nicole Novoa, an analyst for the California Department of Consumer Affairs, said she came Monday because she is friends with the restaurant’s manager, Javier Valdez.

When asked what she thought of Mayahuel, she said, “It’s different from what I’ve seen. It doesn’t compare.... It’s culturally diverse. It has a really good ambiance.”

More than 200 people took part in the celebration throughout the night, according to Delgado.

DJ Alex Trujillo and DJ Will Rodriguez played music all night, getting the Day of the Dead caricatures on the dance floor along with many painted faces in the crowd.

Delgado said Tuesday that he was very pleased with the event.

“I personally loved it. It was a great reflection of what I’m trying to showcase – the culture.... Dia de los Muertos is a day of appreciating the past with the present – the people that have been here – their life and history. In Mexico, we celebrate our past by celebrating the deaths of people that were close to us,” he said.

The grand opening of Tequila Museo Mayahuel is scheduled for the weekend of Cinco de Mayo. However, the restaurant and bar will be open well before that, with a soft opening at 3 p.m. Friday. Delgado said they will serve small plates and a limited cocktail menu.

Tequila Museo Mayahuel is located at 1200 K St. For more information, read Suzanne Hurt’s recent article here or Brandon Darnell’s original article here.

Photos by Chris Brune and Colleen Belcher.

The Bee, Sac Press present 'Table Talk Sacramento' April 13

2011-03-23T19:01:04Z

Do you love talking about food? Do you flip to the food section of the newspaper before even reading the front page? Is a trip to the grocery store an excursion? For all you foodies, bloggers and lovers of Sacramento’s restaurants and food: The Sacramento Bee and The Sacramento Press have teamed up to bring you “Table Talk Sacramento: The region’s food community comes together for an evening of lively discussion.”

There will be two panels addressing different topics, including “What Sacramentans Eat” and the quality of local food writing.

Chris Macias will moderate the food writing panel. Macias has served as the Bee’s food and wine writer since 2008. The panelists include:

Niesha Lofing, who writes food and family stories for the Bee as well as a parenting column, Mom.me.
Catherine Enfield, a state worker by day and a local food blogger by night – or whenever she can sneak away to a computer. She is also a food truck advocate and co-organizer of the SactoMoFo mobile food festival scheduled for April 30.
Micah Rousey, who eats out at least five times per week and shares his experience on Yelp. He has contributed dozens of restaurant reviews and been named a member of the “Yelp Elite Squad.”

Allen Pierleoni will moderate the second panel, “What Sacramentans Eat,” which will cover local food trends. This panel consists of:

Rick Mindermann, an internationally known grocer and wine merchant and store director of Corti Bros. Market. He has 34 years in the food and wine business and acts as a personal assistant to Darrell Corti, who has been called “the man who knows the most about food and wine in the world.”
John Paul Khoury, the corporate chef for Preferred Meats, Inc., a premium meat company in the San Francisco Bay Area, with a focus on sustainable husbandry and smaller farm operations. He is also certified as a chef de cuisine with the American Culinary Federation.
Kelly McCown, the executive chef at Ella restaurant and a 1990 graduate of the California Culinary Academy. He was worked in the kitchens of Martini House, Flying Fish, Fleur de Lys, Hayes Street Grill and others, and he has been named “a rising star” and “top young chef” by several magazines, including Bon Appetit and Japanese GQ.

“Table Talk” will be at The Sacramento Bee, 2100 Q St., at 6 p.m. April 13. Source Global Tapas will provide light snacks.

The event will be live-tweeted by @sacramentopress using the hashtag #SacTableTalk.

The event is free, but registration is required. If you do not register, you will not be allowed to enter. Registration is limited to 160. To sign up for “Table Talk,” click here.

Come join the conversation as we discuss Sacramento’s rich food and restaurant culture.

Writing about Wine and Spirits workshop March 24

2011-03-17T17:56:51Z

The Sacramento Press will be hosting a new workshop for the month of March. We are excited to have our first "Writing about Wine and Spirits" workshop, taught by Rick Kushman.

The workshop will be at the Sacramento Press office from 6:30 - 8 p.m. Thursday, March 24.

Kushman will discuss techniques for writing about wine and touch on how to write about spirits and beer. The primary focus of the workshop will be wine. He will also discuss terms and phrases to avoid when writing about wine or food.

Kushman is an award-winning journalist and former columnist for The Sacramento Bee, where he spent two decades. For the last five years he wrote about wine, food and life in Northern California. His writing has appeared in publications ranging from Time Magazine to Sommelier Journal and Daily Variety.

He is a founder of the new California Wine Marketing Group, a unique business that teaches wineries, wine groups, restaurants and others how to market and talk about wine in real English sentences, not winespeak. He believes that anyone who makes wine too complicated or too scary should be sentenced to drinking low-carb beer.

Kushman earned his Certified Wine Professional credential from the Culinary Institute of America and teaches culinary journalism at the Art Institute of California.

Badges will be awarded to participants for attending the workshop. To become a verified community contributor, please bring a government-issued ID.

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107, in the Amtrak station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks.

We recommend you find parking on the street, bike or take light rail, as the Amtrak parking lot charges $2 per half hour, and we cannot cover the cost of parking. If you take light rail, we will give you two passes when you get here - one to cover your trip here and one to cover your trip back.

To RSVP for this workshop, e-mail workshops@sacramentopress.com. Space is limited to 20 people. If you RSVP and decide later not to attend, please send us an e-mail to notify us that you will not be coming so we can have an accurate head count.

Thanks, and we hope to see you there!

Opinion Writing Workshop Feb. 24

2011-02-21T06:17:12Z

The next workshop hosted by The Sacramento Press will be on opinion writing. It will be held at our office from 6:30 - 8 p.m. Feb. 24.

Sacramento Press Editor in Chief David Watts Barton will discuss the importance of backing up your opinion, doing reporting and keeping your column focused.

Barton worked at The Sacramento Bee from 1985-2007. He was the pop music critic until 1994 and in addition to writing reviews, he wrote weekly columns called Poplife and The Beat.

As editor in chief of The Sacramento Press, Barton writes editorials on a regular basis.

Badges will be awarded to participants for attending the workshop. To become a verified community contributor, please bring a government-issued ID.

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107, in the Amtrak station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks.

We recommend you find parking on the street, bike or take light rail, as the Amtrak parking lot charges $2.00 per half hour, and we cannot cover the cost of parking. If you take light rail, we will give you two passes when you get here - one to cover your trip here and one to cover your trip back.

To RSVP for this workshop, e-mail workshops@sacramentopress.com. If you RSVP and decide later not to attend, please send us an e-mail to notify us that you will not be coming so we can have an accurate head count.

Thanks, and we hope to see you there!

Upcoming workshop: Write Smarter Feb. 16

2011-02-07T22:38:42Z

We have two new workshops scheduled for the month of February.

The first is scheduled from 6:30 - 8 p.m. Feb. 16 at The Sacramento Press office.

JT Long will teach this workshop, titled "Write Smarter."

Long is an independent journalist and SEO copywriter for publications such as Engineering News-Record, Comstock's Magazine and PublicCEO. She creates communities by telling stories.

Long will discuss how to get the most out of your stories so you can use them in different publications. She will cover how to improve your interviewing skills, so you can gather enough information for multiple stories, how to come up with targeted leads and other tips that will benefit freelancers.

Sacramento Press Editor in Chief David Watts Barton will teach a workshop on opinion writing from 6:30 - 8 p.m. Feb. 24. More information on this workshop will be available later this month.

Badges will be awarded to participants for attending the workshop. To become a verified community contributor, please bring a government-issued ID.

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107, in the Amtrak station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks.

We recommend you find parking on the street, bike or take light rail, as the Amtrak parking lot charges $2.00 per half hour, and we cannot cover the cost of parking. If you take light rail, we will give you two passes when you get here - one to cover your trip here and one to cover your trip back.

To RSVP for either workshop, e-mail workshops@sacramentopress.com. If you RSVP and decide later not to attend, please send us an e-mail to notify us that you will not be coming so we can have an accurate head count.

Thanks, and we hope to see you there!

Today's the last day to enter the Journalism Open 2011

2011-01-31T21:06:14Z

The procrastination must come to an end. There are only hours left to enter The Sacramento Press Journalism Open 2011.

Entries must be published by 11:59 p.m. You must tag your article open2011.

There are hundreds of dollars in prizes waiting to be doled out to the winners. First place prize is $700, second place is $500 and there are cash prizes for photos, too!

If you would like to have your article copy edited, it must be sent to journalism@sacramentopress.com by 6 p.m. Any articles sent after 6 p.m. will have to be published without copy editing.

One last thing: there are three judges for this year's contest. One of the judges changed from what we announced at the Journalism Open Workshop. David Watts Barton will no longer be judging. The judges are Managing Editor Colleen Belcher, Copy Editor/Reporter Brandon Darnell and Recruiment Manager Casey Kirk.

Check out the splash page for any last minute questions. Below the page are all of the entries we've received so far for the contest.

The clock is ticking. Entries published after 11:59 p.m. will not be counted as part of the contest.

Winners will be announced Monday, Feb. 14 on our site.

Good luck!

Sac Press Journalism Open workshop Jan. 12

2011-01-10T20:23:34Z

The Sacramento Press Journalism Open is well underway and we're very pleased to see new bylines popping up on our site because of the contest.

The contest ends at 11:59 p.m. Jan. 31, so make sure you've posted all of your entries and tagged them open2011 by that deadline.

First place wins $700, second place $500, and there are many other cash prizes, including prizes for best photos.

For those of you who have questions about the contest, we will host a workshop Wednesday, Jan. 12 from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. at our office. We will be happy to give advice and suggestions on how to develop your story ideas.

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107, in the Amtrak station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks.

We recommend you find parking on the street, bike or take light rail, as the Amtrak parking lot charges $1.50 per half hour, and we cannot cover the cost of parking. If you take light rail, we will give you two passes when you get here - one to cover your trip here and one to cover your trip back.

To RSVP, send an e-mail to workshops@sacramentopress.com.

For the complete rules of the contest, click here.

Thanks, and we look forward to seeing you at the workshop!

How to enter photos that accompany someone else's article in the Journalism Open

2011-01-03T23:52:38Z

Many articles posted on our site are a collaborative effort, with one person writing the text and another person taking photos.

This brings up the question of how a photographer can enter his or her photos in The Sacramento Press Journalism Open 2011 if the article has the byline of the writer.

To enter your photos from an article with someone else's byline, use this tag:

photosyournameopen2011

So if your name is Joe Schmoe, the appropriate tag would be: photosjoeschmoeopen2011

E-mail support@sacramentopress.com if you have any other questions.

A thank you to our community contributors

2010-12-24T02:14:13Z

We have a lot to be grateful for at The Sacramento Press. We celebrated our two-year anniversary in October, and we expanded our office over the summer. We are most thankful for our community contributors – you take the cake.

Your comments fill in the blanks of questions unanswered. You keep us honest and accurate by pointing out errors. Your thoughts and opinions spark a stream of community dialogue.

Your stories and photos document Sacramento’s history in the making. Your firsthand accounts often break stories like the evacuation of the Roseville Galleria Mall or give us an up-close at, say, a fire in Midtown.

A lot of what comes in is unexpected: a letter written by Thomas Enterprises addressing the foreclosure, video of political sign stealing, photos of an upside down rainbow or a lunar eclipse. We’ve had stories about rescued animals, commentary on a Second Saturday Art Walk shooting and plenty other unique and extraordinary stories.

There are a dozen or so community contributors who we work with on a regular basis. These all-stars take on multiple assignments, many of them working around their full-time jobs. We’ve been happy to work with them as they prepare for a big interview with a celebrity, or give them feedback on their sports coverage or emphasize the importance of meeting deadlines.

As a way of saying thank you to those who have really gone above and beyond in volunteering their time and energy to The Sacramento Press, we created “splash” pages to highlight some of their articles.

Lindol French, a new Sacramento resident, has entertained us with his musings on just about everything. We’ve been there for his first breakup with a Sacramento bar. We got to share his interview with Anthony Bourdain and experience the Neo-Crocker Party. And who could forget his Lindol-isms like this one from when the San Francisco Giants were in the World Series: “This is the kind of torture doled out by a beautiful woman with hot wax and a feather.”

Ron Nabity, a professional photographer, has really brought his love of sports to The Sacramento Press. He has captured stunning action shots, whether it be at a Sacramento Capitols game or of a running back sprinting down the field at a UFL Mountain Lions game. His engaging perspective, both in writing and behind the lens, are a real treat.

Alejandra Gonzalez first approached us with interest of becoming an intern. Her busy school schedule prevented her from committing fully to an internship, but that didn’t stop her from taking on assignments. She has done a wonderful job of highlighting local charities and fundraisers in the area, as well as writing captivating reviews of performers like Shakira and the Eagles.

Bill Burgua first participated on The Sacramento Press as a resident and neighborhood advocate and has since created his own niche. He has become one of our best-known theater reviewers, frequently quoted next to The Sacramento Bee’s critics in e-mail blasts from local theater companies. Bill has worked diligently, doing research and diving headfirst into his assignments. His appreciation of local theater shines through.

Marc McLaughlin has been contributing since August, and has really wowed us with his photos. Marc first introduced us to the Sacred City Derby Girls, with some great shots of mud wrestling and that captured the intensity of the sport. He has taken on some big performers, from Jay Leno to Justin Bieber, and has done telephone interviews for previews (the Judds, Tony Orlando, etc.)

David Alvarez has contributed 89 articles since May of this year! We’ve been lucky to have his coverage of many of the events in Folsom (Sutter Street construction, Ghost Train and Folsom Live!). David has tackled all sorts of stories, from fashion shows to cultural celebrations and festivals to Concerts in the Park. What sets him apart is his interactions with the people involved in the events he covers. As readers, we learn what he has learned as his curiosity leads to a deeper level of reporting.

Barry Wisdom is another fantastic photographer we’ve been lucky to work with. He has worked a lot with Bill Burgua in covering theater, doing many of the previews and showing up to dress rehearsals to get shots of the actors. He’s been there to indulge the eyes at Ginger Elizabeth’s Cupcake Day and showcase the art at Chalk It Up! Sacramento. Barry has a lot of fun doing his articles, and it shows.

Delgreta Brown has highlighted Sacramento’s music scene with her soulful music writing. She really makes you feel as if you’re right there in the audience.

Steven Chea continues to amaze us. He has blossomed from someone who has dabbled in video and photography to a valuable reporter and photojournalist. Steven is able to snap photos and capture both amusing and intense facial expressions. He is noted for taking his camera into the crowd, where the other action is.

Mark Needham is a true Sacramento Kings fan. As the 2010-11 season ramped up, Mark was there at every practice, interviewing players, sharing his predictions for the season and creating a presence for the Kings on The Sacramento Press.

Aaron Davis has his finger on the pulse of Sacramento’s music scene. He’s shared details of the Smashing Pumpkins coming to Sacramento and kept us in the know with his weekly roundup. His writing is fun to read and a pleasure to have on the site.

Ed Fogle has been with The Sacramento Press from the very beginning, chasing down some courageous shots. He has been there on the scene alongside ambulances, yellow tape and blazing fires, getting the photos and sharing them with the rest of us. Ed seems to be everywhere and anywhere the police scanner alerts say the action is.

Steven Bloom is becoming synonymous with the word “comedy” in Sacramento. He has interviewed the likes of Cedric the Entertainer and shared his reviews of Robin Williams, Howie Mandel and Conan O’Brien for those of us who couldn’t make it out to their shows.

Last but definitely not least is Kati Garner. She has taken her camera and breathed life into local media coverage. Her photos are Sacramento. She is there for major political events, for the installation of the Capitol Christmas tree, at the American Idol auditions, Sacramento’s Pride events and everything in between. She was there taking panoramic shots of the Railyards as construction was beginning, and she’s one of the first people we turn to when we hope to get photography. Kati, who has 313 articles to date, is a living camera, leaving a flurry of visual memories in her path.

Take a look at the contributors’ splash pages if you’d like by clicking on their names.

Thanks to everyone above and to everyone we haven’t mentioned. We would be nothing without you.

53rd and S streets neighborhood full of Christmas spirit

2010-12-04T08:07:26Z

These photos were taken with an iPhone in the Elmhurst area (53rd street, S street, T street).

Most of the homes had arches on the sidewalks made of PVC pipe and strung with lights.

My favorite house of the block was the one with the snorkeling Santa.

This is the house with the snorkeling Santa!

Santa lives in a Yellow Submarine.

A jellyfish, maybe?

A Christmas tree Snowman.

Research and Fact-Checking Workshop Nov. 16

2010-11-04T21:38:16Z

We're very excited for Max Whittaker's photojournalism talk Tuesday, Nov. 9. The RSVP list is full, and we've set up a waiting list.

The last workshop The Sacramento Press will be holding for this year will be Tuesday, Nov. 16, from 6:30 - 8 p.m.

Clare Noonan will teach a workshop on research and fact-checking at The Sacramento Press office.

The credibility of a writer rests on the research and facts put forth in his or her stories. Journalists are held to the highest accountability when it comes to the accuracy of their information. Fact-checking is a very valuable skill to possess, and Noonan will discuss methods for verifying your research and double-checking the facts in your stories.

Noonan has a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Kentucky. She worked at The Modesto Bee for more than 20 years as a reporter for business, news, feature and sports while also copy editing. She also worked as assistant news editor and assistant city editor in charge of the Crime and Safety beat during her time at The Bee. She has been a copy editor for The Sacramento Press.

Badges will be awarded to participants for attending the workshop. To become a verified community contributor, please bring a government-issued ID.

Please RSVP by e-mailing workshops@sacramentopress.com. Space will be limited to 40 people. If you RSVP and decide later not to attend, please send us an e-mail to notify us that you will not be coming so we can have an accurate head count.

Due to the high number of attendees at recent workshops, we will reserve chairs for those who have RSVP'd. Those who show up without RSVP'ing will have to wait until the workshop starts to be seated to make sure that all of those who have RSVP'd are guaranteed a spot.

Thanks, and we hope to see you there!

Hyperlocal election coverage 2010

2010-11-02T03:29:31Z

Just five months ago The Sacramento Press covered its first primary election. We covered Districts 1, 3, 5 and 7 for the City Council race, sending someone to each of the 13 campaign parties and posting hourly updates on a live blog. And we did it with eight people: an editorial staff of five, two interns and a community contributor.

This election won’t be much different in terms of staff. We’ll have our editorial team of five, four interns, two community contributors and a social media component.

There are quite a few ballot choices that won't be on our live blog, but we will provide you with comprehensive coverage of the issues we do report on: Measure B, Measure C, Measure D, City Council seats for Districts 5 and 7, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s race and updates on other candidates including Congressional District 5 (Matsui vs. Smith ~~Redding~~), Congressional District 3 (Lungren vs. Bera), Assembly District 9 (Dickinson vs. Redding ~~Smith~~), and our neighbors in West Sacramento (Mayor - Cabaldon vs. Potnick).

Tomorrow morning and throughout the night, keep your eyes peeled for our reporters - we'll be following Get Out the Vote efforts, talking to random voters at polling places, sitting next to you at downtown restaurants and at election parties taking in the scene.

Check our site for the live blog with photos, interviews and a feed of constant coverage of the issues listed above. Unlike the June primary, we’ll be checking in on Foursquare, tweeting out updates and taking live stream to capture campaign reactions and celebrations.

Our election coverage is a reflection of who we are, and we would have many gaps without the help from our community contributors. If you're passionate about local politics and about this election in particular, send us your photos and your experiences (e-mail journalism@sacramentopress.com). Check in on Foursquare at your polling place or tweet about the latest results using some of our hashtags below. Voting is not and should not be a solitary experience.

Follow our @SacramentoPres s reporters:
@Kathleen_Haley
@brandon_darnell
@SuzanneHurt

Look up our Twitter hashtags:
#ElectSac
#MeasureB
#MeasureC
#MeasureD
#District5
#District7
#SacSheriff
#mayorwestsac

Review Writing workshop will be on Ustream, guest list is full

2010-10-13T21:38:31Z

Tonight's Review Writing workshop will be live streamed, and we encourage you to tune in from 6:45 - 8 p.m.

Sacramento Press Editor in Chief David Watts Barton will teach the basics of reviewing concerts, theater and other performances.

We are not accepting anymore RSVPs at this point. We are at full capacity for attendees.

If you have RSVP'd but it's more convenient for you to watch the live stream, we encourage you to do so.

The Ustream video will be pasted in this article later today. It will go live when the workshop starts.

Free live streaming by Ustream

Writing for Readers Workshop Oct. 6

2010-09-27T20:48:37Z

It's hard to believe it but Oct. 15 marks the second anniversary for The Sacramento Press. We have two great workshops lined up for the month of October that we hope you can attend.

Lede writing is something all journalists struggle with on a regular basis, and our workshop on Oct. 6 will address that process.

Dianne Heimer will teach lede writing and story structure at our "Writing for Readers" workshop. The goal is to help you write in a way that keeps people reading your articles from start to finish. It will be at The Sacramento Press office, from 6:30-8 p.m.

Heimer graduated with a BA in English from San Diego State and an MA in English/journalism from Sacramento State.

She is a freelance magazine writer and worked previously as associate editor for Sacramento Magazine. Heimer also taught English and journalism at Modesto Junior College for three years.

For the past 17 years, she has been a professor of English and journalism at Sacramento City College, where she has served twice as journalism department chair and advises the online college newspaper.

The workshop will be interactive. You can bring articles if you'd like to ask specific questions about your own writing.

The second workshop, on Oct. 13, will teach how to write reviews of shows, concerts and performances. We will send out another invitation for this workshop when it gets closer.

Badges will be awarded to participants for attending the workshop. To become a verified community contributor, please bring a government-issued ID.

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107, in the Amtrak station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks.

Please RSVP by e-mailing workshops@sacramentopress.com. If you RSVP and decide later not to attend, please send us an e-mail to notify us that you will not be coming so we can have an accurate head count.

Thanks, and we hope to see you there!

Sports Writing Workshop Aug. 25 6:30 - 8 p.m.

2010-08-18T22:36:42Z

It's not too late to attend the "Journalism Ethics" workshop tonight. It's at our newly remodeled Sacramento Press office, from 6:30-8 p.m.

Molly Dugan, an assistant professor of journalism and communication studies at California State University, Sacramento, will teach the workshop.

Our second workshop for the month will hopefully transform sports fans into sports writers. Jimmy Spencer, founding editor of PublicCEO.com, will lead the "Sports Writing" workshop Aug. 25 from 6:30-8 p.m.

Spencer has a B.A. in journalism from California State University, Sacramento. He has worked for The Sacramento Bee, NBC Sports, and the Sacramento River Cats. Spencer coaches high school basketball in the Sacramento area and writes for NBA.com.

Attendees will learn about professionalism and ethics in sports writing, how to get the best quotes, how to come up with a lede and keys to getting published. All sports writing-related questions are welcome at this interactive workshop.

Badges will be awarded to participants for each workshop they attend. Writers who show up can also become verified community contributors.

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107, in the Amtrak station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks.

Thanks, and we hope to see you there!

How do I get another Storyline?

2010-08-10T00:24:36Z

All Sacramento Press community contributors are given four storylines when they first sign up for an account.

Some users never go through all four storylines. Most active writers will use up their storylines quickly.

To get more storylines, send an e-mail to support@sacramentopress.com.

Here are instructions on how to create a new storyline:

1. Click on the "Write" button at the top of the Sacramento Press home page.

2. This will take you to the screen that lists all of the stories you've written. Scroll down to the very bottom of this page.

3. You'll see that you have remaining storylines. Click on the button that reads "Add New Storyline."

4. Name your storyline and add a description if you'd like. This is NOT where you paste your article. You paste your article in the next page. After you've named your storyline, click "Create Now!"

5. This will take you back to the page that lists all of your articles. To write an article using your new storyline, click "Write New Article."

6. Make sure you click on the box next to your newly created storyline.

7. Once you've selected the storyline, paste your story in the content box below and publish as you normally would.

Vigil for Andy Ekstrom Friday at MARRS Building

2010-08-06T01:04:28Z

Andy Ekstrom's family and friends will be holding a candlelight vigil at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow at the MARRS Building, 1050 20th St.

His family asks that in lieu of flowers, friends make donations to a foundation that will be set up in Andy's name. More details will be available soon.

How do I fix an error in my story?

2010-07-19T19:37:51Z

Once you publish your story, it’s final, so we encourage you to save it as a draft or view it as a preview before hitting the publish button to make sure you haven’t overlooked any typos or mistakes.

That said, we all make mistakes, and we want your published work looking its best.

If you ever catch a spelling error, typo or spacing issue, send an e-mail to support@sacramentopress.com and we can fix it.

We also offer free copy editing. Send your story to journalism@sacramentopress.com, and we’ll get it edited and back to you within 24 hours.

How do I become a Sacramento Press editorial intern?

2010-07-16T20:04:47Z

At any given time, The Sacramento Press has six unpaid editorial interns reporting on local events and writing much of our daily content.

Editorial internships last 15 weeks and can earn students college credit. California State University, Sacramento; University of California, Davis; and other colleges have given units for students participating in our internships.

The internships aren’t limited to college students. Anyone interested in gaining more experience in journalism is welcome to apply for an internship.

What does the internship entail?

Our interns participate in weekly editorial meetings and are assigned multiple stories per week. Topics for stories range from previews of events to event coverage to exploring city issues. Most of what we cover falls in the Midtown/downtown area.

Interns are also expected to generate their own story ideas and work closely with the editorial staff to brainstorm ideas and edit their stories.

Many of the story assignments require interns to work in the evenings and on weekends. We provide digital cameras and digital voice recorders for the interns to use when interviewing people and attending events.

The weekly commitment is roughly 20 hours. We are flexible in working with your work and/or school schedules.

There will be no paper pushing or getting coffee for editors in this internship. Our editorial interns arrange for their own press passes, coordinate interviews, take their own photos and publish stories after making edits.

The editorial internship provides a solid foundation for news reporting in an online news medium. Upon completion of the internship, participants will have made valuable connections in the community and have developed a greater awareness of the potential for stories and how to pursue them.

How do you apply?

We accept applications and interns year-round. If you are interested in applying, send your resume and up to three writing samples to journalism@sacramentopress.com.

Writing samples can be clips from other publications, essays from classes or personal writing samples.

July 21 Improve Your Writing with Self Editing Workshop

2010-07-12T23:35:10Z

The Sacramento Press office is almost done with its remodel. Our first workshop in the new space will be Wednesday, July 21, from 6:30 - 8 p.m. It is titled "Improve Your Writing with Self Editing."

The workshop will teach writers how to remove unnecessary words that clutter writing and create more concise writing that is easier for readers to understand.

Clare Noonan will teach the interactive workshop.

Noonan has worked for The Sacramento Press since September, where she edits copy and designs pages.

Attending this workshop will give you the opportunity to become a verified community contributor and receive a badge.

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107 in the Amtrak station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks.

We recommend you find parking on the street, bike or take light rail, as the Amtrak parking lot charges $1.50 per half hour and we cannot cover the cost of parking. If you take the light rail, we will give you two passes when you get here - one to cover your trip here and one to cover your trip back.

RSVP by e-mailing workshops@sacramentopress.com. If you RSVP and decide later not to attend, please send us an e-mail to notify us that you will not be coming so we can have an accurate head count

Thanks, and we hope to see you there!

'Paying for Content' panel to be aired on Access Sacramento

2010-07-02T22:51:13Z

In case you missed the June 22 Paying for Content panel put on by The Sacramento Bee and The Sacramento Press, you will have the chance to see it on Access Sacramento, Channel 17 at the following dates and times:

Sunday, July 4 at 10 p.m. (and repeated Monday at 2 p.m.)
Sunday, July 11 at 5 p.m. (and repeated Monday at 9 a.m.)

To read the recap, written by Agnus-Dei Farrant, click here.

June 30 Camera Phone Photography Workshop

2010-06-21T17:52:39Z

When reporters don't have a camera with them they often resort to using their cell phones to take pictures. It can be hard to take good pictures with cell phones and the topic of our next workshop will address how to take better pictures by using phone applications and different settings.

The Camera Phone Photography Workshop will be June 30, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at The Urban Hive. It will be taught by Anthony Bento.

Bento has a B.A in film and digital media from UC Santa Cruz, where he photographed and reported on the 2004 presidential campaign and other political events. He has also worked as a product photographer in New York City and here in Sacramento as a freelance photojournalist for Sacramento News & Review, and as a community contributor to the Sacramento Press.

Bring your phone so we can look at the various settings and applications available for taking photos. In addition to discussing camera phones, Bento will go over the basics of general photography, including the rule of thirds, confidence and lighting. He will answer any of your individual questions about photography or cameras/phones.

If you're only interested in hearing about the camera phone portion, you can show up at 7:15 p.m. instead of 6:30 p.m.

The Urban Hive is located at 1931 H St.

We have a panel scheduled for Tuesday, June 22. Information for the Paying for Content Panel can be found here.

Pleasw RSVP for either event by e-mailing workshops@sacramentopress.com.

Chin takes the lead in District 7 race

2010-06-09T08:48:02Z

As polling began Tuesday morning, accusations flew between District 7 candidates.

Darrell Fong claimed that volunteers from Ryan Chin's campaign were removing his signs and harassing voters at polling places. Chin made the same claims about volunteers from Fong's campaign.

A campaign spokesperson reported that Robbie Waters' headquarters received complaints by phone about Chin's supporters trying to swayvoters. Chin responded in part by saying his volunteers had nothing to do with the "negative tactics" reported by Waters and Fong.

By late afternoon, David Plag, who works for Waters' campaign, said that the early results were leaning Republican. Fong sent a text to community contributor Erin Haight saying he was doing well and had no complaints.

Giovanni's Pizza in South Land Park hosted Waters' election party. After the polls closed, votes tallied showed Waters in third placewith 757 votes. The party began breaking before 10 p.m. and Waters was visibly tired and said he was "nervous."

A large crowd began celebrating at Happy Corner restaurant on Freeport Boulevard, where Ryan Chin held his party.

The latest numbers before Sacramento County's election website went down showed Chin with 1,122 votes, Fong with 1,012 votes, Waters with 757 and Diedre Hobart with 91.

Chin's campaign manager Devin Lavelle said, "Our name is at the top of the list, that makes us happy."

With only 22 of the 42 precincts reported, Wednesday morning will tell who will fill the District 7 City Council seat.

Erin Haight did reporting for this article.

Photos by Erin Haight.

Political campaign fliers NOT from The Sacramento Press

2010-06-04T23:17:46Z

It was brought to our attention that mailers were sent out by the Sacramento Building Trades Political Action Committee with our name and logo.

The Sacramento Press had no part in it. We did not print the mailers. We did not write those words. The quote " We're being hoodwinked, bamboozeled, led astray, run amok as it appears District One candidate, Angelique Ashby, goes with the Hustle and Flow of dirty politics," came from an opinion piece, written by a community contributor on our site. We did not write or solicit the article.

Our site is a mixture of professional and community reporting. We have a small staff of paid reporters, but the majority of our content comes from the community without any censoring.

We want to make it very clear that we have NO part in this flier.

If you receive these fliers in the mail, they did NOT come from The Sacramento Press.

Thank you to those who called and came to our office to bring this to our attention.

Paying for Content Panel June 22, 6 - 8 p.m.

2010-06-03T17:29:20Z

The Sacramento Press and The Sacramento Bee are co-sponsoring a panel on June 22, titled "Paying for Content." The panel will be at the Bee Headquarters on the third floor, 2100 Q St., from 6 to 8 p.m.

We have six panelists lined up:

Tim Foster is the editor of Midtown Monthly and has been active in the Sacramento arts and music scene for over 20 years. His professional publishing experience began at the California Journal magazine in 1996 and he has worked in nearly every aspect of publishing since.

Tom Negrete, managing editor for the online edition and production at The Sacramento Bee, has been a newspaper editor since 1989. He has worked at The Bee since 1994, as an assistant city editor overseeing local education and county government coverage, sports editor and assistant managing editor for business and sports. Negrete was named managing editor in 2008, and recently helped launch Sacramento Connect, a social media and linking network involving local blogs and websites using the latest web technologies. Before coming to The Bee, Negrete was assistant to the national editor at The New York Times.

Mike O'Brien is co-publisher and owner of Sacramento Magazines Corporation, which publishes SACRAMENTO, a monthly, subscription-based lifestyle magazine. The company also publishes Our Wedding magazine for Northern California brides-to-be twice each year, and does custom publishing for a variety of clients.

Geoff Samek is co-founder of Castle Press LLC, the company behind The Sacramento Press, where he is also head of the product team. Samek's background is in technology, with four years experience doing development and project management for high-profile companies, including Live Nation Inc., the world's largest concert promoter and a huge online event ticket seller. He holds a B.S. degree in computer science from the University of California, San Diego.

Michael Sanford is Vice President for Content Creation of KVIE; he joined KVIE in 2003. Sanford is an accomplished award-winning producer of television news and programming whose previous experience includes managing the West Coast reporting team and producing television segments for "Business Now," a half-hour program on major national commercial markets; reporting and producing for the News Travel Network; and producing segments for CNN, Discovery Channel and the Travel Channel. Sanford has won several Tellys for his work at KVIE and was part of the Emmy Award-winning team of "America's Heartland," KVIE's national public television series now in its sixth season. He oversees all production content for KVIE.

Ron Trujillo is the editor of the Sacramento Business Journal. He oversees news operations of the weekly newspaper. He was previously business editor of The Press-Enterprise, a 190,000-circulation daily newspaper in Riverside. He also served as business editor of The Fresno Bee, Central California's largest newspaper. His business section was honored by the Society of American Business Editors & Writers in 2004. He was also a business reporter for USA TODAY in the Money section.

JT Long will moderate the panel. Long is an independent journalist and SEO copywriter for publications such as Engineering News-Record, Comstock's Magazine and PublicCEO. She creates communities by telling stories.

The panel will focus on paywalls and the relationship between the consumer and the news organization. There will be prepared questions, but the majority of the time will be set aside for audience questions.

We expect a large turnout for this panel. You can RSVP by e-mailing workshops@sacramentopress.com.

Online journalism survey by Reynolds Journalism Institute

2010-06-03T01:34:15Z

For our readers and users who have an interest in online news sites and community journalism, we have a survey that we would like you to take.

Reynolds Journalism Institute is doing a research project on local news sites and online community. On their website it states their mission as "reconnecting journalists and citizens around the importance of journalism in a democracy, and using technology to enhance methods that help journalists reach citizens in many ways."

The institute is part of the University of Missouri and the Missouri School of Journalism.

RJI reached out to Sacramento Press to participate in their research and created a survey tailored to our site.

The survey has 36 questions, 22 of which directly deal with Sacramento Press. The remaining questions touch on current events and demographic information.

The survey will ask you about how useful Sacramento Press is, how you benefit from it, how often you visit the site, the quality of coverage, your satisfaction with Sacramento Press, and whether or not it is engaging.

It also seeks to get your opinion about online community, users interacting with journalists and commenting on articles.

It is completely voluntary and confidential. You have the option of leaving questions blank or stopping the survey altogether if you don't feel comfortable with it. You will not be contacted after the survey unless you choose to include your e-mail address.

If you can spare 10 minutes of your time to complete the survey, it will help with the research to improve journalism and technology to better serve you and news consumers.

Click on the link below to access the survey:

http://rjisurvey.sacramentopress2.sgizmo.com/s3/

May 26 Interviewing Techniques Workshop

2010-05-26T03:43:49Z

We would like to invite you to our second workshop of the month - an interviewing techniques workshop at The Sacramento Press office from 6:30 - 8 p.m. on Wednesday, May 26.

The interview is one of the most important parts of a story. Which questions to ask, how much time you'll need and whether to take notes or use a tape recorder are all key to conducting a successful interview and writing a compelling story.

We are happy to have Doug Herndon teach the workshop. Herndon is an English and journalism professor at Sacramento City College and adviser to the college's newspaper, The Express.

He has been a professional writer for more than 15 years and has worked for Sacramento Magazine, The Sacramento News & Review and The Sacramento Bee.

Come learn the skills and preparations necessary for different scenarios - e-mail interviews, phone interviews and face-to-face interviews. Bring any questions you may have about interviewing or journalism.

Attending this workshop will give you the opportunity to become a verified community contributor and receive the Interviewing Techniques Workshop badge.

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107 in the Amtrak station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks.

If you are facing Starbucks, go around the building to the left, and you'll see our Sac Press sign out front.

We recommend you find parking on the street, bike or take light rail, as the Amtrak parking lot charges $1.50 per half hour and we cannot cover the cost of parking. If you take light rail, we will give you two passes when you get here - one to cover your trip here and one to cover your trip back.

RSVP by e-mailing workshops@sacramentopress.com.

Thanks, and we hope to see you there!

The Press restaurant in progress

2010-05-25T00:34:35Z

Here are some photos of the transformation inside of the restaurant formerly known as Dragonfly.

The Press restaurant is expected to open in August. Read more about chef David English's restaurant here.

The Press is located at 1809 Capitol Avenue.

Photos by Sonny Mayugba.

May 19 Sac Press Tools and Tricks workshop - See Sacramento Press behind the scenes

2010-05-17T18:59:26Z

Have you ever wondered how the Sacramento Press functions technically or editorially? Do you want to know how many views our site gets on a daily, monthly or yearly basis? Our Sac Press Tools and Tricks workshop will answer those questions and any others you might have Wednesday, May 19 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Sacramento Press office.

Geoff Samek, one of the co-founders of The Sacramento Press, will go over many of the newer site features and discuss ways of utilizing these tools to your advantage so you are spending less time trying to figure out how to post articles, comment or other actions.

Samek will share statistics on the number of page views the site gets, when readership peaks, and he will also cover computer basics that will come in handy. Colleen Belcher, managing editor of The Sacramento Press, will be at the workshop to discuss how the editorial side of The Sacramento Press works.

The goal of the workshop is to make using the site easier and give attendees a better idea of all of the tools available and how the newspaper functions from both the technical and editorial sides.

We have a second event this month on May 26. Doug Herndon will teach a workshop titled Interviewing Techniques. Herndon is an English and journalism professor at Sacramento City College and adviser to the college's newspaper, The Express.

He has been a professional writer for more than 15 years and has worked for Sacramento magazine, The Sacramento News & Review and The Sacramento Bee.

Attending either of these events will allow you to become a verified community contributor. You will also receive a workshop badge for attending.

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107 in the Amtrak station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks.

If you are facing Starbucks, go around the building to the left, and you'll see our Sac Press sign out front.

RSVP by e-mailing workshops@sacramentopress.com.

Freelance writers panel photo essay April 26

2010-04-28T20:04:12Z

Here are some photos of the panel from Monday night at the Sutter Square Galleria. The Sacramento Press and the UC Davis Extension Center collaborated to present "Making it as a Writer: How to Succeed in Challenging Times."

More than 30 people showed up to hear insights from panelists JT Long, Sacramento-based freelance journalist; Peter Grandbois, published author and California State University, Sacramento, creative writing professor; Cinamon Vann, a freelance writer and editor specializing in environmental topics; Kate Washington, contributing writer for Sactown magazine and a freelance food and travel writer; Jennifer Basye Sander, author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Getting Published and founder of Write By The Lake Retreats.

Janna Marlies Santoro, Sacramento writer, professor and editor, moderated the panel, asking questions about how each panelist defined success as a writer, what strategies they use for accomplishing success and what challenges the panelists have faced recently due to the economic down turn and how they managed them.

The audience was able to ask questions ranging from what a typical day was like to how much money they charge per word or per project.

The Sacramento Press has another panel planned for June so stay tuned for more information.

Darrell Corti, Elaine Corn talk food, Sacramento at Time Tested Books

2010-03-23T22:20:03Z

Corti Brothers co-owner Darrell Corti does not own a microwave.

He knows better than to put a loaf of bread upside down. The one time he did, his grandmother hit him and told him bread is never left upside down. It should have the bottom part facing down, because that was how it was made.

Corti discussed his experience with food, being a grocer and many other topics Sunday night with Elaine Corn, food journalist, author and contributing reporter to Capital Public Radio. The talk was part of Time Tested Books Living Library series. The bookstore was filled with about 70 people, among them chef Patrick Mulvaney, eager to hear Corti discuss cooking, the palate and "the fate of the Corti Brothers location."

Corn directed the topics of conversation, and as a longtime friend of Corti, her presence seemed to put him at ease, letting the memories and anecdotes flow.

One of the first questions she posed to Corti was what he did as a kid in his home on 55th Street and 13th Avenue, where he lived from 1947 to 1954.

His reply got the audience salivating. "My grandmother would make us zabaglione ... that's what we would have as an after school snack at 3:30," he said. "And then we would watch 'The Three Stooges.'"

His exposure to good food early on was no doubt a precursor to a lifetime of respect for simple food done well.

Corti proudly calls himself a grocer. Corn asked him what that meant, and whether larger chain grocery stores fit that mold. "It doesn't mean the same thing at Winco?" she asked.

"Yes, it does," Corti replied. "Grocers sold things because they bought them in gross... People like Winco, Sam's Club, Wal-Mart, Costco, they're literally grocers because they buy a lot (but) they want you to buy a lot also."

"A real grocer buys a lot and sells you a little."

The conversation turned to wasting food. Corn asked if this was an American thing.

"Yes. We spend less money per person in the United States on what it costs for us to eat than any other country in the world," Corti said.

He attributed buying in bulk and purchasing more than can be consumed to America's immigrant culture.

"One of the things you get when you're an immigrant population with a land where living is easier than it was in the land that you left is that you find that you can waste things," he said. "You're not going to die of starvation. That's a great psychological breakthrough, (but) you tend to sort of exaggerate."

Corti also commented on throwing away leftovers. He said that in the U.S., people tend to throw away leftovers, which he equated to another symbol of wealth, then asked, "If we're so wealthy, why does food have to be so cheap?"

"My sister who ran Corti Brothers for a while after my father died and even before my father died used to say 'The grocery business is such a stupid business,' " he said. " ' We all try to see how cheaply we can sell a product, the diamond industry doesn't do that.' "

Corn asked how Americans stand up as cooks, and Corti replied that they do very well, praising their ability to imitate cooking from other cultures.

The last 30 minutes of the discussion fielded questions from the audience.

Corn made sure to get one question out of the way, "Who in this room is going to ask about the fate of the Corti Brothers location? Let's get that one over with right now."

More than one audience member volunteered. Corti replied that Corti Brothers signed a ten-year lease March 19, 2009 - the first time his store was able to secure a long-term lease since 1985.

One of the last questions of the evening was "What is special or distinctive or defining about Sacramento as a food place?"

Corti responded by saying that Sacramento has not been considered a food place, and that it is strange how the city has taken a backseat with people under the belief that "if you wanted to have something really good you had to go to (another) city," he said.

"Humbug! We have a whole coterie of really good chefs in Sacramento producing really good foods, and that means you Patrick Mulvaney."

He discussed the number of delicatessens and stores in the early days of Sacramento, how two or three cook books had been written in Sacramento before WWII and how it boiled down to perception.

Corti asked the audience a question: "What are you all doing here instead of being at home, cooking those delicacies that you bought at Corti Brothers this afternoon," he said. "Get a life, people."

The emphatic applause overpowered any growling stomachs in the audience. Corti gave them all food for thought.

Citizen journalism at work

2010-03-19T19:52:43Z

The Sacramento Press is a hybrid site of professional and community-contributed journalism. One recent event that we could not cover in-house is a perfect example of how citizen journalism works best:

One of our reporters, Kathleen Haley, was unable to attend a debate scheduled for Thursday night.

Our editorial department e-mailed a resident Haley had met at another event who had shown interest in the debate. This resident suggested that a friend of hers, Chris Shannon, who had already planned to go to the debate, write about it for The Sacramento Press.

We asked our interns to see who was available, but none of them were to attend either.

Chris Shannon e-mailed us and called to confirm that he could cover the District 7 debate.

He took pictures and wrote a great story.

We are very lucky to have community members who are willing to write about events and issues that affect all of us. Our staff is very small and it's impossible to cover everything in our area.

Thank you, Chris Shannon, for the great coverage and we hope this example will encourage more writers to share stories on The Sacramento Press.

Photo essay: A look at the St. Patrick's Day Block Party

2010-03-18T18:18:17Z

Sacramento Press witnessed the block party at de Vere's firsthand. We had a booth set up in the middle of the festivities. Here are some pictures of the festivities.

Beer Brats

Sonny Mayugba interviews the Kennelly Dance Company.

Sonny sits down with Henry de Vere White.

Sonny interviews Rob Kerth for the Sacramento Press livestream.

The Sacramento Kings dancers at the Sacramento Press booth.

Sonny interviews Simon de Vere White.

News 10's Jennifer Smith and camera man check out The Sacramento Press.

Research and Fact-Checking workshop March 23

2010-03-15T19:54:45Z

We have a free journalism workshop scheduled later this month.

Dianne Heimer will lead our first Research and Fact-Checking workshop on Tuesday, March 23, 6:30 - 8 p.m.

Heimer is a journalism professor at Sac City College and advises the college's newspaper, The Express.

Doing research for articles seems daunting, but we'll show you that it isn't difficult and that the added credibility and depth are worth the time and effort.

Heimer will discuss appropriate sources and will go over how to confirm the accuracy of the facts in your story. She'll also discuss the trustworthiness of the Internet as a source.

Food and drinks will be served at 6:30 p.m., with the workshop at 6:45. Our office is at 431 I Street, Suite 107, in the Amtrak station.
If you are facing Starbucks, go around the building to the left and you'll see our Sac Press sign.

We recommend you park on the street, bike, or take light rail, as parking in the Amtrak lot costs $1.50 per 20 minutes. We do not cover the cost of parking, but if you take light rail, we will provide two passes when you get here, good for the round trip.

RSVP by e-mailing workshops@sacramentopress.com.

For more information, call 916-443-5403.

Thanks, and we hope to see you there!

A teachable moment for Sacramento; reducing DUIs and deaths

2010-02-27T03:54:48Z

Jacob Owens didn't get a second chance. After a night of drinking, he got into the driver's seat of a car and crashed into a tree. Despite the best efforts of the members of the Mercy San Juan Medical Center trauma unit, he did not survive. He was 21 years old.

Many drunken drivers get a second, third, and even hundredth chance — which increases the likelihood that they will cause a fatality.

"There is research that says for every time someone is arrested for drunk driving, they had actually driven drunk 200 times before that," Dr. Leon Owens said.

Determined to change these lethal odds, Owens dove headfirst into research. He is the director of the Mercy San Juan Medical Center Trauma Program and a clinical professor of surgery at the University of California Davis School of Medicine. He had the best motivation, and the worst: His son, Jacob, was the one who died in 2002. His brother, Mark Owens, was the surgeon who worked to save Jacob in the trauma unit. Mark didn't recognize him as his nephew until he was identified later.

Leon Owens founded the website www.every37.com and created the Teachable Moment Foundation. He also spent years doing research and meeting with lawmakers to change existing laws that punish drunken drivers.

Owens approached state Sen. Dave Cox and persuaded him to author Senate Bill 547. Assemblyman Dave Jones co-authored the bill, which was passed Aug. 18, 2005, and signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Sept. 2, 2005.

The bill required that from Jan. 1, 2009 until Jan. 1, 2010, the cars of repeat DUI offenders be impounded for 30 days as part of a pilot program in Sacramento. In addition to having their vehicles impounded, offenders could participate in an intervention program after being released from jail.

The law still is in effect, even though Jan. 1 has passed. Owens is reaching out to finance the additional costs for impounding vehicles and continuing the motivational interviews, which are a part of the intervention program, through private donors and the California Office of Traffic Safety.

The Teachable Moment Foundation provides an intervention that breaks the pattern of drunken driving. Sacramento was chosen as the test ground for this program.

The city is an apt choice. In 2007, Sacramento ranked No. 1 in collisions among cities over 250,000 population in California.

The University of California at Davis School of Medicine, University of Michigan School of Public Health and local law enforcement agencies have pooled their resources to implement SB 547 and make the Teachable Moment Foundation a success.

The foundation focuses on reaching those with drinking problems immediately after their release from jail. This is when they're most vulnerable and most willing to discuss their substance abuse problems. A questionnaire and motivational interview are offered when the offender is released from jail and participation is voluntary.

Researchers are continuing to gather interviews until they have 800. With 750 in hand, Owens said he expects to be done by late March. Follow-up questionnaires will monitor the progress of the drunken drivers at intervals of six months and a year after the motivational interviews.

The University of Michigan School of Public Health will evaluate the final data from the motivational interviews by 2011.

Dave Cropp, a clinician who conducts motivational interviews at the Sacramento County Jail, described the process.

"The teachable moment is when there is vulnerability," Cropp said. "Drivers have had their cars towed and impounded, they’ve been in jail for a few hours and during that period they’ve hopefully gotten some sense of reticence."

The interviews are conducted in a room with the interviewer on one side of a Plexiglas window and the interviewee on the other. Communication is via a telephone. Interviews last 30 to 40 minutes, with some longer if there are “underlying issues” that come up in the interview, Cropp said.

The process is explained and arrestees are asked if they’d like to volunteer. Once they’ve agreed, they are asked a series of demographic questions.

"(People) don't like to be told about their problems or their (deficiencies)," Cropp said. "We tend to naturally resist when somebody’s pointing out our problems, and we try to justify it."

Motivational interviewing is designed to anticipate this resistance, he said. The technique is designed to allow drunken drivers to come up with how they need to change their lives rather than the interviewer telling them.

Not many questions are asked, Cropp said. It’s not a confrontational therapy. Instead, reflective listening is used. Interviewers are listening for what is meant, not necessarily what is said.

"For example, if people tell me, 'I just made a mistake. I really don’t have a problem,' " Cropp said, "rather than mirroring back exactly what they just told me, a reflective listening response would be for me to suggest to them a statement such as 'Nobody’s really concerned about this arrest. You’re not concerned about this arrest. There’s really no problem, no risk. This is more of an inconvenience than a problem.' "

This technique allows them to reflect, he added, and to see the contradictions in their statements.

Before the interview is over, interviewers ask offenders to rate how motivated and committed they are to making these changes on a scale from one to 10, with 10 being the most motivated, Cropp said.

If someone rates him or herself as an eight or a nine, the interviewer asks why the rating wasn't lower. "(We know) that if we suggested that they should be a 10 they would resist and rationalize why they should only be a seven, eight or nine," Cropp said. "We do just the opposite. They resist the suggestion of rating themselves lower by saying, 'I’m very motivated. This is why I’m a nine or a 10.’ And then we reinforce that concept."

The ideas and motivation come from them. The goal is to encourage arrestees to identify those areas that they need to change in order to keep them from more DUI arrests.

"I’ve had so many people thank me," Cropp said. "People tell me there’s a reason for this and there was a reason that they were arrested this time. There was a reason that I was brought to them to help them work through some of these issues."

Many people worry about the moral implications of their actions, he added. They are so thankful that they didn't hurt anyone. Many of them are afraid to tell their spouses, children or parents.

Cropp said he's been very impressed with participants' sincerity. "One way I can judge their sincerity is when we confirm their address to send them follow-up questionnaires at six months and 12 months."

"A lot of times when people are arrested and the police officers ask for personal information, it’s not uncommon for people to give (false) information. I’ll say the address I have for them, and if it’s incorrect in any way, they’ll immediately clarify any bad information and give us the right information."

Cropp said being a motivational interviewer is very rewarding.

"I’ve interviewed validated gangsters," he said. "Once that façade drops and dissolves, I see in front of me a person who really wants to make a difference. I’ve had them break down and cry. And yeah, it’s very rewarding."

Photos courtesy of Abbey Borstad and every37.com

Image 1 Second Saturday crashed car. July 11, 2009

Image 2 Second Saturday booth. July 11, 2009

Image 3 Crashed car at SAMMIES Awards. June 27, 2009

Image 4 Dr. Leon Owens at the press conference to launch every37.com. December 2008.

Image 5 Second Saturday crashed car. May 9, 2009

Press release: City Manager Ray Kerridge resigns

2010-02-18T01:51:03Z

Sacramento City Manager, Ray Kerridge announced his resignation today, effective March 12, 2010.

"After much thought and consideration, I will be resigning on March 12, 2010," said City Manager Ray Kerridge. "The City of Sacramento is a great organization with outstanding employees, and I am honored to have had the opportunity to serve this community."

After 35+ years in the public sector, Mr. Kerridge will be taking a private sector position.

In February 2006, Mr. Kerridge was appointed City Manager by the Mayor and City Council. He has been the catalyst behind significant culture change in City Hall bringing customer service to the forefront of City government.

He joined the City of Sacramento in January 2005 as the Assistant City Manager for Development and over saw several departments including Development Services, Utilities, Transportation, and Economic Development.

City Manager Ray Kerridge Significant Successes:

* Lead the organization through historic budget challenges
* Improved and enhanced relationship with business leaders
* Negotiation and Approval of first ever City/County Tax Sharing
Agreement
* Fostering better Citywide communication and a team atmosphere
* Development Services Department went from last to first in
customer service
* Citywide culture change - transparency, customer service,
accountability
* General Plan Updated and Approved
* Sustainability Master Plan Developed and Adopted
* Memorandum of Understanding with CSU, Sacramento State
* Memorandum of Understanding with Sacramento Municipal Utilities
District
* Recently, Council unanimously approved budget strategies and
principles for FY2010-2011
* Development and adoption of Downtown Urban Guidelines
* New department head leadership

This press release was sent via email from Amy Williams, City PIO, 808-5014

Feb. 17 Intro to Journalism workshop

2010-02-09T23:13:05Z

It's very exciting to see the number of our community contributors continue to grow. We now have close to 800. With so many new writers, we want to make sure we offer you the tools and resources to improve your writing and help you feel more confident posting on our site.

We've held many journalism-related workshops in 2009 ranging from Interviewing Techniques, Bias in Media, Journalism Ethics, among others.

We're happy to announce another Intro to Journalism workshop this month, scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 17 6:30 - 8 p.m.

Brandon Darnell will be teaching the workshop. He is a freelance writer and editor, and he currently copy edits for The Sacramento Press.

Darnell graduated from California State University, Sacramento in 2007 with a degree in journalism, where he worked as a reporter, copy editor and Copy Chief of the student newspaper, The State Hornet. Darnell worked as a reporter for the Lincoln News Messenger for a year, covering everything from city government and the economic crisis to feature articles before moving to Paris, France, to research a novel he is currently writing.

This workshop is perfect for those of you without a journalistic background. We encourage you to write on our site, but some basic guidance from a workshop such as this one may help get the pen to paper or in our case, fingers to keyboard.

Attending this workshop will also earn you a badge for "Intro to Journalism workshop" on our site. You will have the opportunity to be verified as a community contributor as well.

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107 in the Amtrak station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks. If you are facing Starbucks, go around the building to the left and you'll see our Sac Press sign out front.

Please RSVP by emailing workshops@sacramentopress.com.

If you have any trouble finding our office, please call 916-443-5403.

Thanks, and we hope to see you there!

Jan. 25 workshop: Media discussion with co-founders of Sacramento Press

2010-01-20T20:15:30Z

The second workshop we have scheduled for January is a media discussion with the co-founders of Sacramento Press, Ben Ilfeld and Geoff Samek.

This workshop will give you the opportunity to meet the co-founders of Sacramento Press, hear them discuss the future of media in their eyes, and ask them any questions you may have about the site, online news, etc.

The workshop will be at the Sacramento Press office on Monday, Jan. 25 from 6:30 - 8 p.m.

Please RSVP by emailing workshops@sacramentopress.com.

If you have any trouble finding our office, please call 916-443-5403.

Thanks, and we hope to see you there!

Sac City College's magazine in jeopardy of being cut

2010-01-07T23:20:16Z

A student at Sac City College wrote to The Sacramento Press asking us to help spread the word that Mainline magazine could be cut if it doesn't reach the minimum enrollment. Below is the email we received from Stephanie.

My name is Stephanie and I wanted to write you and let you know that Sacramento City College's journalism program has really taken huge class cuts this semester, which is definitely unfortunate for young journalists.

One class that is being cut in particular is Mainline magazine. If the roster doesn't reach 20 people by Monday, Jan. 11, it will be cut. Mainline is a very important class, it helps writers, photographers, graphic designers and illustrators by putting them in an environment that mimics the development of a magazine. I don't know if you can help or what can be done, but I just thought I would throw that out there? I think this program helps students in our community a great deal and to see it be cut, would really be sad.

http://www.losrios.edu/lrc/lrc_reg_online.php

This link is where people could go if they wanted to sign up for the class. This class is award-winning and at the end of the semester students produce a magazine. There is even a working website www.sacmainline.com.

Pets dressed for the holidays

2009-12-25T00:35:14Z

Thanks to those of you who have sent pictures of your pets. We'd love to have many more photos from your family gatherings or celebrations. Please continue to send your pet photos to journalism@sacramentopress.com

Gertie is a 1-year-old pug. Her owner is Tyler Williams.

Bradley Wiggins, a Westie sits in front of owners Ali Tabatabai's and Monica Gutierrez's tree.

Suzanne Hurt holds Appa, a toy Australian Shepherd and Lhasa Apso terrier mix. Jonathan Mendick and Samedi Thach are the owners of 4-month-old, Appa.

Beau, a miniature Schnauzer, dreams of sugarplums and fairies but Cal still lost yesterday's game despite wearing this t-shirt. Loren and Elaine Belcher own 13-year-old Beau.

Calling all pet owners: Send us your photos

2009-12-22T21:44:07Z

Tis the season to decorate your house, your tree and many times, your pet.

We'd love to see your photos of your pets dressed up in their holiday best. Send your photos to journalism@sacramentopress.com with the name of your pet, your name and where you live, and we'll put together a photo essay of the photos we receive.

Media Panel video at Urban Hive

2009-12-11T22:00:42Z

Wednesday night, the Urban Hive was packed with people eager to hear what local media outlets had to say about the changes they've made recently in response to the economy, technology and social media.

Jim Jakobs, Assignment Manager of KCRA, Jon Schuller and Anne Shulock, Office Manager and Reporter of Sactown Magazine, Jen Picard, Senior Producer of Insight, David Watts Barton, Editor in Chief of Sacramento Press, and Nick Miller, Arts Editor of Sacramento News and Review, had a lively discussion moderated by Janna Santoro.

Here is the first part of the video from that night. Nick Miller joined the panel a little late. This first segment is before he arrived.

Media Panel video part 1 from Colleen Belcher on Vimeo.

Intermediate Google workshop Dec. 15

2009-12-10T19:10:49Z

Thanks to all of you who came to the Media Panel at the Urban Hive Wednesday night!

We have another engaging event scheduled for next week. Jeff Marmins, who taught our last Facebook workshop, will be leading the Google event titled, "Get Google in your Social Media Mix." Jeff is the creator of Social Media Path and partnership director of Social Media Club Sacramento.

The event will be at the Sacramento Press office Dec. 15 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Jeff will discuss how to condense all of the social media sites you post to into one application on Google, successfully use RSS feeds and answer your specific questions.

This workshop is designed for intermediate Google users. If you'd like a beginner workshop, please email journalism@sacramentopress.com and if there are enough people, we can put together a separate beginner workshop.

Please RSVP by emailing journalism@sacramentopress.com.

If you have any trouble finding our office, you can give us a call at (916) 443-5403.

Thanks, and we hope to see you there.

Media Panel Dec. 9 at The Urban Hive

2009-12-03T19:42:54Z

Many of you have asked about workshops and events being posted on our site in addition to the email invitations. Here is some information about our planned December events.

We've organized a media panel Dec. 9. and a Google workshop Dec. 15.

The media panel is a collaboration between the folks at the Urban Hive and The Sacramento Press. It will be held at the Urban Hive, Dec. 9 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

The panel features representatives from each type of news outlet and will focus on the changes each has had to make over the past few years with technology, the economy and social media. Each panel member will also be asked where they see the future of journalism is headed. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask their own questions during the panel as well.

The panel will consist of:

Jen Picard is the Senior Producer of Insight on Capitol Public Radio. Picard has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from Humboldt State University. She's worked as a features copy editor and entertainment editor at the Appeal-Democrat newspaper in Marysville. Picard has been with Insight since July 2006 and has served as Senior Producer since January 2007. Picard lives in Sacramento with her photojournalist husband Max and her neurotic cat Smokey.

Nick Miller is arts editor at SN&R, Sacramento's alt-weekly magazine, where he assigns thousands of stories each year--send those pitches, stat! He's been in journalism for eight years. In his spare time, he enjoys sitting around in a Snuggie with his pug, Leroy, and watching NBA.

Anne Shulock is a reporter for Sactown magazine. After interning for Sactown in college, she joined the staff as an editorial assistant in 2008. She graduated from Pomona College in Southern California with a degree in Media Studies, focusing on art and film. In college, she spent a summer interning in the fashion department of CosmoGIRL! in New York City, where she mostly organized piles of earrings and skinny jeans and decided she didn't want to work in fashion.

Jon Schuller helped launch Sactown magazine in 2006 after graduating UC Davis with degrees in Spanish and English. In addition to managing the day-to-day operations of the office, he's also writes, researches, fact-checks and copy edits content for publication. Recently, he's helped research and develop an action plan for the magazine's upcoming digital presence and hopes to expand the brand's presence in social media. He also assists with the advertising team. And orders Post-It notes.

David Watts Barton, editor in chief of The Sacramento Press. Barton has been in local media his entire life. From teenage work in independent publications like Rock 'n' Roll News and Tower Pulse! Through his nearly 25 years at The Sacramento Bee, where he was the paper's first Pop Music Critic, Barton has made his living exploring and reporting on different aspects of his hometown's culture. For the last year, Barton has entered the world of online news, helping to shape and guide The Sacramento Press, first as Managing Editor, and more recently as Editor-in-Chief.

KCRA will also be a part of the panel. The representative is still being decided.

Food and drinks will be served at 6:30 p.m. and the workshop will begin at 7 p.m.

The Urban Hive is located at 1931 H Street in Sacramento.

Please RSVP by emailing journalism@sacramentopress.com, so we know how many people to expect.

We'll post something later this month with more information on the Google workshop.

Thanks, and we look forward to seeing you at the Urban Hive!

Creating the social in social media - Social Media Weekend

2009-11-29T02:22:23Z

Twitterature, Twitterverse, Twibe, Tweetaholic and Twitterhea were some of the noteworthy word clusters mentioned by the New Oxford American Dictionary committee while choosing its 2009 Word of the Year. With this new dialect, it should come as no surprise that Sacramento TweetUps (social events that allow Twitter users to meet in real life) are drawing crowds of more than a hundred people.

Earlier this month, an entire weekend was dedicated to social media.

Alejandro Reyes created and organized Sacramento's first two-day Social Media Weekend at the University of Phoenix in Natomas, Nov. 6 and 7. Bloggers, financial strategists, real estate agents, non-profits, online business owners and librarians flocked to attend.

Reyes was inspired by the South by Southwest and BlogWorld expos but wanted to create a local and more affordable version.

"I just figured, why don't we create something like this in our backyard and give people an opportunity to save money and meet other locals, as well as learn from people on a local level that are using social media at a high level?" he said.

Some of the speakers included Jessica Smith, vice president of Fleishman-Hillard and creator of jessicaknows.com, Rachel and Sarah Campbell of TwinSoup, CJ Alvarado of Bayside Church, and Josh Unfried of momfaves.com.

Suzanne Phan from News10 was an attendee on Friday, and blogger Christine Young and Reyes did a live chat on News10's website.

Questions from the audience dominated the conversations for each panel and speaker. Many of the attendees had little experience with the social media tools discussed.

Real estate agent Stephanie Brinkworth, was eager to see what she could do to help her firm.

"It's all new to me," she said. "I really liked Josh (Unfried). I was motivated to start my own blog (after hearing him talk)," I went home yesterday and did research. I looked up Wordpress and the different designs and templates of blogs."

Representatives from the Ronald McDonald House, inmycommunity.com and the Sacramento Law Library came hoping to increase their online presence and get more involved with social media.

One of the speakers who got a great response was Gordon Fowler, president and CEO of 3Fold Communications. He spoke on generational use of social media.

More than just connecting online, Fowler emphasized the value of making connections period.

"I see people jumping on the social media bandwagon because they feel like they have to, and forgetting that, at its core, social media is about relationships built on effective communication," he said. "If new learners are ineffective in understanding how to communicate inter-generationally, they will not be effective communicating and building relationships through social media.

"People need to chill out and thoughtfully discover their 'social media personality.' Be authentic, be transparent and have some fun."

Reyes is already planning the next Social Media Weekend in March 2010.

Gary Pilapil, a creative director who has attended other social media events, said he liked this particular one because it was local, with no one from out of state.

"It's refreshing to meet like-minded people that want to help Sacramento grow," Pilapil said.

Interested in seeing the Twittersphere in action? A TweetUp in conjunction with Sacramento's branch of Social Media Club is scheduled for Dec. 17.

Here are some of the tweets that were sent out during Social Media Weekend (click links to visit an individual's Twitter page):

@thisaac If you realize you've screwed up, own up to it as quickly as possible… –@JessicaKnows #socialmediaweekend

@pdteam Don't use social media as a weapon. –@JessicaKnows #socialmediaweekend

@kennypratt #socialmediaweekend PR Panel: both PR professionls and Journalists still learning to use Twitter to find and place stories

@susancarraretto RT @successfool: "Social Media elevates word of mouth to a viral level" @JoshUnfried

@jeffmarmins want to extend reach online? give before you expect to receive. promote others via @sierrafriend #socialmediaweekend

@jeffmarmins we only advertise businesses we authentically use or would recommend #socialmediaweekend @YoungMommy @TwinSoup

@JackieDotson Really high quality stuff at #socialmediaweekend I'm impressed that everyone is emphasizing the importance of relationships in social media.

@meghanwood Per @TwinSoup: 'you will always have negative comments! So.. Just delete them.' LOVE IT!!! I so agree #socialmediaweekend

To see the complete schedule and list of speakers for Social Media Weekend, visit socialmediaweekend.com.

Facebook workshop tonight

2009-11-18T19:54:10Z

When: Wednesday, Nov. 18 2009 6:30 - 8 p.m.

Where: The Sacramento Press office, 431 I Street, Suite 107 Sacramento, CA 95814

What: Facebook workshop, taught by Jeff Marmins, creator of Social Media Path. He will go over privacy settings and how to keep your personal and work lives separate on Facebook. He will also be answering any questions you may have.

How: To RSVP for tonight, email journalism@sacramentopress.com. Space is limited, we only have a few spots left.

If you have any questions, you can call us at 916-443-5403.

Friday the 13th at the County Jail

2009-11-15T00:36:54Z

I spent the night of Friday the 13th in a cop car.

I was the passenger for a ride along with Sergeant Dave Hargadon, head of the DUI Team for the Sacramento Police Department. We spent the evening searching for drunken drivers, patrolling the streets of Downtown and Midtown Sacramento.

The Sacramento County Main Jail was filled with impaired drivers at 2:30 a.m. as we brought in one from our own car. As I entered, I surveyed the room and realized why all of the anti-drunken driving campaigns are directed at my age group: They were almost all in their 20s and 30s.

It was entertaining and eye-opening to see how people react differently to an arrest, depending on their temperament, level of inebriation and whether or not they were thinking of the next day's consequences.

Ten people sat on the benches waiting to be seen by one of the two nurses on duty for the night. Each suspect was accompanied by either a CHP officer or a police officer. On the wall in big, bold letters read "Prisoners to remain handcuffed." In the room where the breathalyzer machine sat, small fliers read "Do not leave your prisoner unattended."

The drunken driver we brought in had a reading of 0.25, which wasn't too surprising since he was unable to recite the alphabet or count to 10.

The conversations that took place among the arrested lightened the mood of the room to an extent. A girl in a short, formfitting black dress and gold heels was the most talkative of the night.

The first words I heard out of her mouth were, “This is what I get for having a drink.”

I wondered if she had just turned 21 as she continued talking. “One drink, my first time. First time getting pulled over. First time getting locked up.”

She seemed to be in a good mood despite periodically reflecting on the consequences of her actions. “My parents are going to kill me.”

She made small talk with a guy sitting next to her. “I should have ran,” she said, which was followed immediately after with, “We learn from our mistakes.”

Some of her comments made it sound like she was happy she didn't drive home. “Good thing they stopped us before...”

After an officer told her it would be best for her not to talk, she announced to those around her, “You make friends here.”

”It’s a friendly place, kinda like Disneyland," one of the officers said.

Her mood quickly changed as the handcuffs became uncomfortable again. “This is fucked up. It’s not OK.”

On the other side of the benches, a man, whom I was later told is a certified gang member, threatened a CHP officer, cussing at him, taunting him, yelling at him.

My attention was drawn back to the guy we brought in. He made eye contact with me and suggested, "Let’s take a walk.”

It was finally our turn to be seen by the nurse and, as we rounded the corner, I saw a girl who seemed to have sobered up, bawling while her blood was being drawn.

“I can’t do this," she said, tears streaming down her face. At first I thought maybe she was deathly afraid of needles, or the sight of blood made her queasy.

As she continued, I realized my assumption was wrong. "I cant believe this... My life after today... I can't."

The nurse that was tending to the man we arrested had a visibly black eye and I wondered if the nurse got it from a prisoner acting out.

She took the suspect's blood pressure, temperature and gave him a TB test. She also asked him a series of questions.

Another arrested man stood while his shoes were unlaced. His silence and downcast eyes were a stark contrast from the rest of the incarcerated at the jail.

While we proceeded to the intake area, our suspect began crying.

The officer in charge of patting him down said, "Sir, there’s no crying in jail."

Before leaving the jail, I took a look at the drunk tank, the place where drunken drivers are kept until release. There were four men — three were sleeping and one had put his head in his shirt. I didn't know if he was trying to sleep, too, or if he was hiding.

As I left, I was very happy that none of those individuals were on the road operating a vehicle. I worried about the fate of other drivers who did drive home drunk.

Halloween in Sacramento - a photo essay

2009-11-01T19:37:00Z

Photos of the dog fashion show by Eric Whalen

Photos of Midtown Trick or Treat by Suzanne Hurt

Photos of Halloween night by Tina Armour

Sac ranks high in collisions, Sac PD working to eliminate drunk driving

2009-11-01T04:15:02Z

The California Office of Traffic Safety [OTS] releases a yearly ranking of 13 cities of similar size (population over 250,000) for collisions by daily vehicle miles traveled and average population.

The 13 cities are Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Long Beach, Fresno, Oakland, Santa Ana, Anaheim, Bakersfield, Riverside and Stockton.

The numbers for 2008 are not yet available, but for 2007, Sacramento ranked No. 1 in many categories.

For collisions with alcohol involved, Sacramento ranked first with 478 victims killed and injured.
For collisions where the driver had been drinking (HBD) both under age 21 and ages 21 to 34, Sacramento came in first with a combined 214 victims killed and injured.
Sacramento ranked first by population for total fatal and injury collisions with 4,404 victims killed and injured.
Sacramento also ranked first for collisions involving bicyclists by population, speed-related collisions by population and nighttime collisions by population. Nighttime collisions were defined as occurring between 9 p.m. and 2:59 a.m.

Sacramento Police Department applied for OTS grants and was awarded two grants for the 2009-2010 fiscal year.

The first is the Sacramento County Pilot Program for Brief Intervention of Impaired Drivers. This program is being tested in Sacramento for repeat offenders. It is a voluntary interview with drivers before they are released from jail which can provide resources and treatment for alcoholism.

The second grant was for the DUI Enforcement and Awareness Program, in the amount of $670,500. This grant money has funded the new DUI Enforcement Team, which has been in effect since Oct. 1.

Ten additional DUI checkpoints have been added for a total of 22 checkpoints in Sacramento from Oct. 1 until Sept. 30, 2010.

Overall $83 million has been awarded to the state of California for traffic safety grants.

Sergeant Dave Hargadon runs the DUI Team and attributes the high number of collisions involving alcohol to the increased nightlife in Sacramento.

Hargadon said the police department has been working with the Midtown Business Association to reduce driving under the influence in Downtown and Midtown. They have been discussing ways they can work with these establishments to prevent drunk driving.

One tactic the DUI Team will be to possibly train employees of establishments where drunk drivers tend to come from. The DUI Team will start determining if there is a trend of drunk drivers coming from certain bars or clubs.

“We’ve been asking people where they are coming from, but until now it has only been a word on a police report,” Hargadon said. “The DUI team will start keeping track of that information.”

Statistics for 2008 have shown improvements for the state of California.

“Last year in California, 1,029 people died in alcohol impaired crashes; a 9 percent reduction in deaths from 2007.” OTS director Christopher Murphy said in a Sacramento Police Department press release.

Hargadon said the DUI Team has been successful so far.

“The preliminary numbers show we are making a difference in all categories,” Hargadon said. “The effort we’re putting into this is making a difference.”

In addition to the DUI Team and the two aforementioned grants, the OTS provides funding for the AVOID program.

According to Chris Cochran, spokesperson for OTS, AVOID programs are another layer of DUI prevention. Forty-one counties in California participate.

In Sacramento County, there are 15 agencies that work together to prevent drunk driving collisions and fatalities. They decide what holidays and events to patrol based on which ones involve alcohol. This year there will be 27 AVOID events, said Brian Winsor, who runs the Sacramento AVOID program.

The holidays and events include Memorial Day weekend, Fourth of July, Summer mobilization (Aug. 21 to Sept. 7),Winter holiday (Dec. 18 to Jan 3, 2010), Super Bowl Sunday, St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, the Causeway Classic and Halloween.

For the summer months between Aug. 21 and Sept. 7, the AVOID the 15 (the Sacramento County division, which gets its name because of the number of participating agencies) arrested 413 people for driving under the influence.

This Halloween, the AVOID the 15 will be out in full force.

Los Rios, Elk Grove, Sacramento, Folsom and Rancho Cordova police departments will be patrolling starting at 7 p.m. tonight.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, between 2004 and 2008, 462 individuals have been injured or killed for the past five Halloween nights in Sacramento.

For more information about OTS and Sacramento's efforts to combat drunk driving, visit www.ots.ca.gov and www.every37.com.

Byron Blackburn - a musician to be reckoned with

2009-10-15T06:59:39Z

On September 18, after more than two years of battling cancer, bassist and music enthusiast Byron Blackburn passed away.

To celebrate his life and his impact on the local music and arts community, Beatnik Studios is hosting a memorial Friday, Oct. 16 from 7 p.m. - midnight.

The evening will be filled with live music and art. A silent auction will raise money for the Byron Blackburn Memorial Fund. The fund will be used to create a scholarship for a student who plans on attending music school.

All of the musicians performing have either played with Blackburn or are friends of his. The Inversions, RACE!!!, Nagual, Norfolk Jacket with Michelle Tsilas, The Alegria Quartet, Fo Shang! and the Jalapeno Chocolates and others will be playing throughout the memorial.

Artists from Sacramento, San Francisco and San Jose have donated just under 40 pieces for the auction. Some of the artists include Carlos Villez, Cinder, Deborah Barba, Evie Turner, Jill Allyn Stafford, John Stuart Berger, Mark Fox, Nicolas Caesar, Skinner, and Yoli Manzo.

Blackburn wasn't always a musician. He picked up the bass only six years ago after a friend of his needed a bassist in his band, Kro-nose. He had never played before but he was willing to learn and since then the Sacramento music scene has greatly benefited from his support and encouragement.

"He wasn't there to serve himself. He was there to serve the music," his wife Kathy Blackburn said. "It was about building community, giving a helping hand, guidance or a venue."

Byron and Kathy became part owners of the Java Lounge "because he cared so much about the music there," she said.

The couple invested their time and money into the all-ages venue to make sure there was a place for musicians and artists of all levels to come and be creative.

"What’s great about Java Lounge is they like to show art from a variety of backgrounds," Evie Turner, friend of Byron and one of the organizers of the memorial said. "It’s a good place for people who are breaking into the art scene to have a place to show. You can easily be rejected [elsewhere], but [Byron] never turned anybody away."

His friends remember him as a driving force and proponent for newer artists trying to make a name for themselves and break into the scene.

"[Byron] is the most supportive, most encouraging and biggest fan of local music; he really loved it a lot," Ross Hammond said. "If you played a gig, and there was three people there, guaranteed Byron was one of them."

Hammond has played with Byron at many shows and played guitar on his latest CD, Things Turn Black When They Burn. Hammond is also an organizer of the memorial.

Ryan Offield, bassist for The Inversions, also knew Blackburn through music and hosted the Weatherstone music series for about nine or ten months with him.

"He got some of the best jazz and rock talent available from SF through to Sacramento through him networking well. People wanted to be around him," Ryan Offield said. "He got world-traveling musician Ulher Birgit and Gino Robair into Weatherstone. My jaw just dropped at [what] he achieved - by pure good will."

Blackburn was diagnosed with cancer two and a half years ago, according to his wife, Kathy.

He endured two surgeries and many rounds of chemo, but didn't let the cancer bring him down.

"He always said, 'I have cancer. Cancer doesn't have me," Kathy said.

He was determined to do as many shows as he could, she added. "He probably did 300 shows in 365 days."

Offield remembers the first time he saw Byron after the diagnosis. "He wasn’t going to be deterred at all. no matter how afraid of it or intimidated he was, he was so aggressive toward it," Offield said. "[Byron said] 'I’m going to get the best doctors in the world. I’m going to look into traditional medicine, eastern medicine. This isn’t going to beat me."

Byron spoke on Capital Public Radio's Insight in June about his album and his fight with cancer.

"As I made this CD ... I really felt at the time that I was making it that it really had nothing to do with my illness," Blackburn said. "But when I got done and I listened to the music, it struck me that the music was very informed by what I was going through with my health."

"I didn’t know if this was going to be my last opportunity to record or what the future held for me in terms of playing so I really tried to just open up my heart and get a snapshot of what it is we had been doing for the last couple of years in live situations."

Kathy Blackburn said that music was one thing that kept his mind off of the pain the cancer caused.

"[Byron] said it was only when he was playing music that none of [the pain] was in his brain," she said. "I’d drag him to some gig and he’d be in terrible shape, [but when he started playing] you could see him light up and feel so good."

Hammond and Offield agreed that his appreciation of music went above and beyond anyone else's they knew.

"Everytime he would play a show with you - it could have been the greatest or the crappiest show – he would shake your hand and thank you for playing," Hammond said.

"He was excited about rehearsal. He was excited about gigs, about everything," Hammond added.

"[Byron] would inject himself into situations with players who were extremely talented and he wouldn’t be happy until he could sit and play with confidence," Offield said. "He was such a constant protagonist for getting everyone together and for working on things."

While he may have been hard on himself, Blackburn was nothing but encouraging toward others.

"He was so patient and energetic about everyone’s talent," Offield said. "He allowed everyone to go about being their best."

Beyond the music, his friends and colleagues say he was a joy to be around, regardless of how well you knew him.

"I would stop in [Java Lounge] once a week and what was fantastic was you didn’t just go in for a quick cup of coffee," Turner said. "He made you feel like you were welcome in his home. You weren't just a customer, you were a family member."

Offield said his signature grin put people at ease.

"When he was telling a story, he would get wrapped up in it and would have a serious look on his face," Offield said. "As soon as he was getting to the punchline – he had a huge grin from ear to ear– a Cheshire cat smile."

Byron recorded music for the last time on Labor Day with Ross Hammond. His wife Kathy had it playing on the stereo during his last moments.

"He always said his number one goal is to build the art and music scene in Sacramento. His second goal was to protect the venue and nurture the artist," Kathy said.

Friday, the art and music scene in Sacramento will give back to him.

"It will be a combination of somber and celebration," Offield anticipates. "[Byron] loved life too much for anyone to go about [this] in anything but a celebratory way."

The event is free. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the video slideshow will begin at 7:30 p.m. The musicians will begin performing at 8 p.m.

Cash and checks are the only form of payment accepted for the silent auction items.

Donations can be made to the Byron Blackburn Memorial Fund at Bank of the West on J Street.

For more information on the event, visit http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=141857289846

Beatnik Studios is located at 2421 17th Street.

Below are some of the art pieces that will be up for sale at the auction.

Photos provided by Kathy Blackburn. Paintings above were done by Kathy Blackburn.

Art by Mark Fox

"Too Late To Go To Rehab" by Carlos Villez

"Halloween PartyBot" by Cinder

"Saint Byron" by Nicolas Caesar

More storm photos

2009-10-14T06:24:50Z

It was quite the blustery day in Sacramento as winds reached over 50 mph and more than 3 inches of rain fell, according to Fox 40 News meteorologist Kristina Werner.

Trees and branches fell in streets, on houses, on cars and power lines went out intermittently through the central city.

Streets turned into ponds, traffic slowed making commutes much longer than usual and I-5 was a flooded mess near the boat section despite the recent work by Caltrans.

It seemed there wasn't one corner of the city that the storm didn't touch.

Businesses such as Temple and Lucky Lefty's (shown below) felt the effects of the storm.

It's hard to believe many of us were just wearing flip flops, skirts, shorts and sleeveless shirts, as ponchos, hooded jackets, scarves and boots accompanied upturned umbrellas and scurrying people.

The rain did lighten up around 6 p.m. and there was even a rainbow to brighten the day.

Fall is definitely here.

The first two photos were taken by David Watts Barton. The rest of the photos were taken by Ed Fogle of Maverick Photography.

Storm damage this morning

2009-10-13T18:37:48Z

Here are some photos of the effects of the storm from community members who were out witnessing the damage.

This was taken at Q and 16th streets by Michael Gelber.

These two photos were taken on I Street and 30th. Ed Fogle of Maverick Photography took these as part of a live stream. More photos can be seen at sacmav.com

The next photos are from Southbound I-5 near the J Street exit in the boat section. These photos were also taken by Ed Fogle of Maverick Photography.

If you have photos of the storm, we'd love to see you post them on our site. If you have any questions on how to upload your photos, contact journalism@sacramentopress.com.

Stay safe and dry!

Writing has never been so rewarding

2009-10-12T03:40:09Z

October is almost half over and we've only gotten16 stories submitted for the Journalism Open.

We have roughly 15 prizes to give out, and we'd love to have a lot more content to judge for our writing contest.

That being said, we don't want you overestimating the time and effort you need to put into writing an article for the Sacramento Press. We offer free copy editing, so don't put off writing for the chance to win $500, a trip to Squaw Valley, and other prizes because you think your article needs to be Pulitzer-Prize worthy.

We're having a workshop Tuesday, Oct. 13 to answer all of your questions about The Sacramento Press Journalism Open.

If you've been hesitant to enter or just heard about the contest from a friend, co-worker or from this article, this is the perfect opportunity to quell your misgivings.

We're here to motivate, encourage and root you on as you write your first, second or thousandth article for this contest.

The Journalism Open only runs through 11:59 p.m. Oct. 31, which leaves a little over two weeks for you to write your story or stories.

To see the complete rules and prizes, visit www.sacramentopress.com/open.

Clear your Tuesday night schedule and come eat and socialize and prepare your A-game for the contest.

What: The Sacramento Press Journalism Open workshop

When: Tuesday, Oct. 13, 6:30 - 8 p.m.

Where: The Sacramento Press office 431 I Street, Suite 107 Sacramento, CA 95814

Why: Because you want to win cash prizes, a portrait by the Wall Street Journal artist, a trip to Squaw Valley and bragging rights.

Make sure you email your RSVP to journalism@sacramentopress.com.

Crawls unite charities, community and cuisine

2009-10-02T10:37:22Z

It started in the name of Cystic Fibrosis.

Three years ago, Darby Flynn and Brian Fischer were trying to come up with a new event for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

"CFF had more relationships in the suburbs than in the central city," Fischer said. "They wanted to grow in Downtown and educate more people in the city."

At the time, CFF had a national fundraising pub crawl event. Fischer suggested a gourmet food crawl instead.

"A week before the event, CFF canceled all the pub crawls around the country except for the Edible Crawl for a Cure because it had food and alcohol," he said.

By the second year, the Edible Crawl for a Cure sold out, with 1,000 participants strolling the streets of Downtown and sampling new restaurants.

With two years under their belts, Fischer and Flynn created their own events company, appropriately called Event'ually.

The Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission, the Jewish Federation and the Greater Broadway Partnership approached Flynn asking her if she could create a crawl to raise money for their organizations.

In two short months, three crawls bring thousands of crawlers to eat, walk and be merry in the central city.

The first crawl happened last Saturday. Eat Your Art Out toured 18 restaurants.

A lesser explored food haven inspired the second crawl. Around the World on Broadway kicks off tomorrow, showcasing 18 restaurants from a variety of cultures.

Restaurants include Andy Nguyen, Los Jarritos, New Canton, Kathmandu Kitchen, Queen Sheba, Tower Cafe, the new Iron Steaks and other restaurants in the Broadway area.

The last crawl for 2009 will benefit a number of charities. Jewish Federation Children and Family Services, Sacramento Area Emergency Housing Center, The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and Sacramento’s Save Ourselves Breast Cancer Center will all receive funds from the Big Nosh, a 30-restaurant crawl.

Flynn expects close to 1,500 attendees for this crawl, which will include many of the same restaurants from the Eat Your Art Out Crawl with the addition of some new ones: The Melting Pot, Aioli Bodega, Celestin's Island Eats, Le Petit Paris, Old Soul Co. and others.

After spending over 25 years in a run-down old school building in the Arden area, the Jewish Federation recently moved to 20th Street and Capitol Ave.

Being a part of a crawl was a way to "introduce ourselves to our neighbors," David Goodman, communication director of the Jewish Federation and Editor of the Jewish Voice, said. "There's a saying Tikkun Olam which means 'repairing the world." We wanted to give to other charities, helping not just the Jewish community but everyone in Sacramento."

Unlike the other two crawls which cost $35, the Big Nosh costs $36.

"In Hebrew, each letter has a numerical equivalent," Goodman said. "The number 18 is equivalent to life, so 18 times two is 36, that's kind of the idea."

"If you tried to go on your own to a few restaurants – you’d add up to $35 in two stops," Flynn said. "It really is the cheapest way to explore all the great restaurants in the central city."

Justin Llata has been to both Edible Crawls for the Cure and participated in the Eat Your Art Out Crawl. He is also planning on doing the Big Nosh.

"There isn’t one place that I wouldn’t go back to," Llata said of the restaurants in the crawls. "I love eating Downtown and Midtown."

Only locally-owned, independent restaurants are allowed to participate.

The crawls are meant to benefit everyone involved: the charities, the restaurants, the community and the participants

"We want people to discover the place in their backyard that they’re always driving by," Fischer said. "When you’re driving to work, running errands - you’re seeing all those places and then you forget about it."

"When you get out of your car you can see the architecture of the city. When people experince the walkability of Sacramento, they actually understand the layout of their city.They experience the grid.

"It allows them to create a social break in their lives, they get to actually spend quality time with a group of people – new friends, co-workers, old friends," he said. "It’s not a short event; it’s not a superficial event. It’s a day adventure. It’s a day trip in your own city."

The Around the World on Broadway Crawl is family friendly. Flynn said they wanted to be able to include the Land Park and Curtis Park neighborhoods, so there will be no alcohol for this crawl.

At the end of the crawl, Capitol Public Radio will be discussing their year-long "Around the World in 30 blocks" series at Beatnik Studios. The reception will include a slideshow and question-and-answer session about the restaurants featured in the series.

Crawlers get a taste of more than just food at the crawls put on this year. The Eat Your Art Out Crawl featured a performance by the Camellia Symphony at Brew It Up! and dancing by the CORE Dance Collective. In October, the Big Nosh will have local musicians at six locations, two of which are Autumn Sky and Ricky Berger.

Flynn and Fischer want to increase the excitement in the central city on any given weekend, not just for Second Saturday.

"We want to increase the capacity of events happening on weekends," Flynn said. "Not once a month, but every weekend."

Fischer added, "When you live in a city, it’s not somebody else’s responsilbitiy to make this city a better place, it's everyone's.

"The deeper [the] relationship, the better chance of riding out a tough economic storm because people have developed a relationship with the businesses in their backyard," he said. "And they care about them, [so] they’re more willing to help them."

For more information on the crawls and to buy tickets, visit www.crawltix.com.

Photos provided by Darby Flynn from the Eat Your Art Out Crawl.

Found Footage Festival visits Sacramento Sunday

2009-10-01T21:17:08Z

One VHS player died in the making of this year's Found Footage Festival.

Sunday, as part of Movies on a Big Screen, Nick Prueher and Joe Pickett will bring their fourth volume of the Found Footage Festival to the Guild Theater for 90 minutes of outrageous video clips assembled from across the country.

Prueher and Pickett have contributed to The Onion, "The Colbert Report" and "The Late Show with David Letterman." Luckily for Sacramento, they started touring with their found footage, sharing their collection of VHS tapes and their commentary at each showing.

The last VHS rolled off the assembly line November 2008, Prueher said in a phone interview.

But the majority of the clips used in the video are taken from VHS tapes. Their red race car VHS rewinder gets lots of use, so Prueher and Pickett can preserve the other two VHS players still intact.

"We’re happy that we can sort of resurrect [VHS] at least for a night at the Found Footage Fest," Prueher said.

The idea for the festival came from a video Prueher found when he was an employee for a McDonald's in Wisconsin.

"It's called 'The Inside and Outside Custodial Duties.' I found it in a breakroom. I popped it in out of curiosity and couldn't believe how ridiculously bad it was," Prueher said. "It starred an overly perky crew trainer and a really dim trainee and they're both really excited about learning how to clean the bathrooms.

"My initial thought was 'The world has to see how dumb this McDonald’s video is,' so I put it in my backpack, showed it to Joe and then we started showing it to friends and that sort of was the beginning of our doing what we do now, which is make fun of videos professionally."

The McDonald's video has gotten plenty of laughs since being in the FFF, but Prueher didn't laugh or smile much while working there.

"My first month at McDonald’s, my manager said I didn't smile enough while taking people's orders, so she put me on probation," Prueher said. "At one point, one part of me was like 'I don’t care,' and the other side was like 'how humiliating would it be to get fired from McDonald’s? Am I really that incompetent?'"

Prueher ended up working there for two and a half years.

"I think this was kind of like my 'fuck you' by showing their video and putting it on our DVD," Prueher said. "I’m not losing any sleep over it."

This year's volume includes a collection of the worst Saturday morning cartoons ever (featuring New Kids on the Block, Mr. T, Chuck Norris and a cartoon based off of the Rubix cube), an exercise video montage and many other random video finds.

Each volume takes roughly 15 months to put together.

Pickett and Prueher get their material from thrift stores, garage sales and people mailing in their own videos.

"Whenever we get a new tape in the mail, it’s like Christmas morning," Prueher said. "We encourage anyone that has a [funny] VHS to please send it our way or bring it to the show."

Prueher has even come across videos in the trash.

"I was throwing [the trash] into the dumpster and then I saw that there was just a stack of VHS tapes sitting there," Prueher said. "Among them was one that had hand written on it bunion surgery. Bunion was spelled like onion and surgery was spelled wrong, too.

"I thought it was going to be some kind of homemade surgery. It turned out to be something taped off of the Discovery Channel that was about bunion surgery," he said. "I was disappointed, but you just never know until you pop it in."

How do they know what to look for when searching for funny VHS tapes in stores or garage sales?

"We’re looking for promising signs: either the title’s funny, the box cover is funny, [or] something about what we think might be in the content piques our curiosity," he said "Still about 90 percent of what we find is absolute garbage but I think our batting average has gotten a little bit better. We’re able to discern more about what might be on a tape now and what might not."

The judging and editing process can take months. Prueher and Pickett have recruited friends to help with the judging.

"We have a room full of people judging what’s going to get a laugh and what’s not," he said. "The litmus test for us is whether it’s unintentionally funny -- so something that’s trying to do something and fails colossally -- that’s exactly what we’re looking for."

They use an editing monitor, similar to an HD TV, to cut down the footage.

When asked about the future of the FFF, Prueher said, "I don’t think we’re going to run out of footage at any time soon. Occasionally, we’ll find DVDs that are good and we’ll include those in the collection so that the format’s changed but the bad ideas don’t.

"As long as people have bad ideas and they have access to video equipment then you know we’ll never run out of material. We’ll be finding hard drives [to use] in 30 years."

The Found Footage Festival starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Guild Theater. Tickets can be purchased at foundfootagefest.com.

Photos and captions provided by Nick Prueher.

Captions for each photo:

Hosts and curators Nick Prueher and Joe Pickett introduce another found video clip at a recent Found Footage Festival in New York.

A man goes to great lengths to get noticed in a 1987 dating service called Video Mates.

An unnamed man belts out a terrible new wave song in what is billed as "the world's first nude pop video."

Former Golden Girl Rue McClanahan is surrounded by felines in "The Cat Care Video Guide" from 1990.

A tale of two stomachs: Eat Your Art Out in action

2009-09-28T05:03:48Z

Saturday morning I contemplated whether or not I should eat breakfast. My stomach was inexperienced with grub crawls, the Eat Your Art Out Crawl would be my very first. I settled on eating something small.

Luckily I lived close enough to walk to the captain meeting place and by the time I had gathered my team's bags and badges, my stomach was growling.

Of the 18 restaurants and dining establishments in the Crawl, I had eaten at all of them but five.

My team, Team Snuffleupagus, started at Brew It Up! where a fruit platter and blue cheese kettle chips awaited. This was a good warmup for the digestive system, not too heavy, and easy to eat.

Lucca was one of the restaurants I hadn't tried. Their zucchini chips and eggplant crostini were very tasty. I felt that this stop actually showcased appetizers that reflected the uniqueness of the restaurant. Rubicon offered chips and salsa, celery and carrot sticks and fries - not exactly dishes that wowed the crowd.

Azul Mexican Bar and Tequila Bar was the third stop. We were hoping they would be serving margaritas, but found it was one of many places that chose to serve sangria. Although there was a bit of a wait for the food, our team got a whole plate of nachos with queso fresca and warm quesadillas.

Beach Hut Deli put my stomach over the tipping point, I was worried that I wasn't going to be able eat anymore with14 restaurants left. They served huge sandwiches stuffed to the brim with meat, lettuce, tomato, cheese and pickles.

As mentioned earlier, Rubicon served pretty basic appetizers, so it was easy for me to bypass their food to save room for later restaurants. I must say that what they lacked in food they made up for with their selection of beers.

They were the only restaurant to offer six different beers. All of the other restaurants serving beverages offered only one or two to choose from.

Mulvaney's B&L was one of my favorite stops. It was one of the locations where people stuck around to really enjoy the food and the atmosphere. In the front catering room, fresh mozzarella was cut to accompany heirloom tomatoes and champagne was being poured into a lime pear juice concoction.

In the main space, tables were set up and interpretive dancers filled the room with kicks and poses. There wasn't an area they didn't venture into, they stretched against the windows, flowed around the tables, using the space and each other as part of their composition. Dessert pastry cups were served with chocolate ganache, raspberries, blueberries and other delicious fillings.

Yogurtagogo was the seventh stop, where participants could sample one or all of the six different yogurt flavors. Stops seven, eight and nine were conveniently located right next to one another.

Ginger Elizabeth served a crispy coconut lime chocolate which was devoured eagerly, dessert goes into a different compartment, right? The employees said that this chocolate would be available for purchase in December.

The L Wine Lounge had a couple festive teams who were happy to share their beads with other teams. One woman doling out the necklaces demanded that we earn our beads by showing her something. She asked to see our palms and handed over the gold beads.

On our way to Zocalo, we once again got our hopes up for margaritas, but were very pleased that they instead served a delicious mixture of horchata with tequila.

Hot Italian served up Peroni and a pizza with pesto and pine nuts, one pizza for each team. We weren't able to finish our pizza.

I was particularly impressed with Nishiki Sushi, although I had been there many times before. Employees walked around with plates of sushi rolls and the manager poured two different kinds of sake. The first sake was infused with apple and was really smooth. The second sake tasted exactly like lychee.

The newest restaurant on the Crawl list was Sapporo Grill on 16th and L streets. They served a beautiful spread of potstickers, spring rolls, sushi, edamame, and some type of breaded chicken. Their long, cushy couches allowed tired crawl-goers to stretch out and put up their feet.

Temple provided a nice pick-me-up with iced coffee and the Grange put together three ingredients I had never eaten simultaneously: figs, cheese and bacon - a delicious surprise.

The last stop was Sofia, and despite our late start (1 p.m.) we made it to all 18 restaurants in the allotted time.

If you do the math, 18 restaurants for $35 turns out to be less than $2 per restaurant and $7 per hour of the five-hour crawl.

In addition to all of the food, there were goodie bags. Inside each bag was a copy of Midtown Monthly, coupons for a free milkshake and chicken menu item from Chick-fil-A, a pre-punched Yogurtagogo card toward a free yogurt, a buy one get one free coupon for Temple and a few brochures.

After mixing nachos, chocolate, pizza, sushi, sangria, sake, potstickers, coffee and every food group into our bellies, most of us were experiencing a food coma at the end. As might be appropriate for a team named after a Sesame Street character, Team Snuffleupagus was ready for a nap.

What does it take to run a Temple?

2009-09-20T03:01:52Z

Sean Kohmescher has come up with a winning business model when it comes to his two Temple coffee shops, but don't call him a businessman.

"My identity is not a businessman," he said. "My identity is someone who is passionate about coffee and tea."

Someone wanting to follow in his footsteps might think twice about replicating the road to his success.

Kohmescher spent eight months building the first location. "I built everything. If it's not a chair and it's not a couch, I built it," he said.

Although Kohmescher has a degree in interior graphic design, he has no formal background in architecture. He couldn't afford an architect at that time, so he drew the plans up himself -- sketch after sketch. "I learned the hard way," he said.

After the plans were up to the Department of Health and city building code's specifications, Kohmescher got to work using his own hands and his own tools: a hammer, jig saw, skill saw and belt sander.

Kohmescher was still working full-time while working on his first Temple. He would work all day and then go work on his own business, "anywhere from five to eight hours a day." When asked how much sleep he got, he laughed. "Not very much. It was a tough year."

The interior wasn't the only thing Kohmescher had to worry about before opening in 2005.

Before he opened his doors for business, he would regularly see women defecating near Temple's doorway and homeless people gathered near where the railing is, enjoying a beer. He called the police many times to make sure these issues weren't hindering his ability to attract customers.

Kohmescher recalls what was going through his mind on the day of the first Temple's grand opening, "I hope this works."

The decision to be open 365 days a year was settled upon from day one.

"It's important to be a community spot," he said. "Not to be selfish, to be in business for the people."

What about Christmas? "When I grew up we went to bars and coffee spots on holidays," he said. "On Christmas more than any other time I want to go out to breakfast."

The hard work didn't stop when the construction was finished. Kohmescher worked 18-hour days for the first four months that Temple was open with only one other employee to help out.

"I didn't have a choice for it not to succeed," he said. "When you sell everything you own, it's not an option."

Temple keeps it simple, specializing in coffee, tea and pastries. "When you do other things, you dilute the product."

The Old Soul muffins and pastries are baked at 3 or 4 a.m. every morning so that when Temple opens at 6 a.m., they're still warm. Other coffee shops have their baked goods delivered by semi truck from the Bay Area so by the time they hit the shelf, or the display case, they're already a day old, he said.

Kohmescher is adamant about people recycling. He finds it weird that people order coffee in to-go cups and then sit there and drink them at the shop. "Would you order take-out at a restaurant and then sit there and eat it with a plastic fork?"

His environmental conscience encompasses more than just the fair trade and organic coffee or the desire to recycle. The air conditioning may be constantly blowing, but Kohmescher said he keeps his shops at the SMUD-recommended temperature for energy efficiency -- 76 or 77 degrees. The thermostat only allows the temperature to fluctuate one degree.

June 29 marked the opening of the second Temple. Kohmescher decided he wanted another coffee shop to house a roaster and provide a space for training and certification programs.

Ben Lance has worked for Temple for over two years and has managed the S Street location since its opening.

Despite the long hours and long days, Lance said he genuinely loves what he does. "I would be here all the time anyway."

Kohmescher's passion for coffee has rubbed off on Lance, he said."The fire was there before, [but since working for Temple,] it’s bloomed into a brush fire."

Lance calls himself a "lifer," and hopes to "bring the level of quality and coffee awareness to another level, so there’s more understanding for the general public"

Temple is preparing for the Western Regional Barista Championship in February and the United States Barista Championship in March.

Lance has been practicing his latte pours for the Millrock Free-Pour Latte Art Competition on Sept. 25 in Seattle.

He will compete against 39 other baristas to pour the best looking latte. This is Lance's second time competing. Last year he placed 11th.

Kohmescher spends quite a bit of time at both Temples. "[I don't want to be] an absent owner," he said. "If I’m away, I’m doing other things for the business, for the coffee world."

His advice for someone else trying to open up a business: "Learn the business, work at a great place to get experience, take classes, become educated."

Asked if he would do anything differently, "I'm going to say no," he said after finishing one of his eight daily 8 oz. coffees. "What you’ve done makes you know what you know."

Sidewalk art at Chalk it Up!

2009-09-08T15:18:02Z

Friends of Laura Ling share their experiences

2009-08-10T09:00:56Z

The Sacramento Press has followed the timeline of journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee since their detainment in North Korea, covering some of the vigils that took place in Sacramento.

Ling was born and raised in Carmichael and her ties to the Sacramento community brought enormous support for the two women throughout their ordeal.

Following Bill Clinton's visit with Kim Jong Il, Ling and Lee were pardoned and allowed to return home. The Sacramento Press interviewed two of Ling's friends to hear what it was like for them during Ling's absence.

Cheryll Marsh and Stephanie Tomasegovich met Ling in seventh grade at Barrett Middle School in Carmichael. Marsh met Ling through the school's drill team and Tomasegovich met Ling because of their shared love of New Kids on the Block.

Friendships made in middle school proved to be instrumental in the campaign and efforts to get Ling and Lee back home safely.

On March 17, when Ling and Lee were arrested on charges of spying and illegal entry into North Korea, both Marsh and Tomasegovich heard the shocking news while at work. Tomasegovich came across the story via the Internet and Marsh's mother called her on the phone.

“I was in complete shock, in disbelief,” Marsh said. Her first thought was, “How do we get her out?”

“I didn’t believe the severity of it,” Tomasegovich said.

“I was going to do something," Marsh said. "I wasn't going to just sit around.”

Tomasegovich sent a letter to Michelle Obama appealing to her as a mother, since Lee is also a mother of a girl.

Marsh sent letters to officials in North Korea and to President Barack Obama pleading for the release of the two journalists. Both women sent numerous postcards to Ling, and Marsh wrote emails to Ling even though she knew she wasn’t able to read them.

One of her emails read, “I’m thinking about you. I think about you every single day.”

Both Marsh and Tomasegovich were put under the media spotlight because of their friendships with Ling. The two spoke on radio programs and at the vigils in Sacramento.

Tomasegovich was not a fan of all the media attention. “I did not like it," she said. "I was unprepared, [but] I did it for Laura.”

Tomasegovich made bracelets similar to the Live Strong bracelets. She passed out the baby blue bracelets that said “Keep Hope Alive” to everyone she knew and sent them to Lisa Ling, Laura's sister, in L.A.

For Tomasegovich, the most difficult part was a feeling of helplessness. She said she hated not being able to help Ling and wondering what her family was feeling every minute of the day. She also felt guilty about having her life continue to go on knowing what Ling was going through.

Marsh said the most difficult part of Ling being away was not knowing anything, especially at the beginning. She admitted it was very discouraging because no one knew what to do.

"The turning point [was] when I met with an old friend of the Ling [family], a friend of Laura's and Lisa's mom at a cafe in San Francisco," she said. "I had a new sense of purpose. [I thought to myself] stop being sad, there needs to be action!"

On Aug. 4, the news of Ling and Lee's release reached the two friends.

Marsh described her reaction as “the most amazing feeling.” She said that their release was “a dream that I kept on playing in my head,” and her heart lifted when the dream became a reality.

Tomasegovich was in the midst of a trial as a juror. She received the news from her brother while on her lunch break. She yelled out to the jury, “You guys, she’s coming home!”

She also made it a point to tell the judge presiding over the trial. “The judge announced it to the court and everyone cheered,” Tomasegovich said.

Both friends agreed that the media played a huge role in keeping the Ling and Lee story on the public’s mind and in bringing them home.

“As much as people hate the media, the more they were annoying, the better it was for them,” Tomasegovich said.

Tomasegovich recently lost her job and her sister-in-law pointed out that everything happens for a reason. Had she been employed full-time, she might not have been able to appear on TV and speak on the radio.

In a Facebook message, her sister-in-law said, “Life needed you and you were there.”

Both women have been celebrating the safe return of their long-time friend, but neither have spoken to or seen Ling since her return.

“She needs her privacy,” Marsh said.

“She’ll give me a call when she’s ready," Tomasegovich said.

Best Restaurants - a different take

2009-07-21T01:54:18Z

It's that time of year again - time for "Best Restaurants," brought to you by Sacramento Magazine.

After reading the readers' picks for each category, it made me wonder whether the results would be different for readers of The Sacramento Press. Our focus has been primarily on events and coverage of things in the Grid, whereas Sacramento Magazine covers a larger demographic including the suburbs.

There were four categories that stood out to me in Sacramento Magazine's Best Restaurants: Best Burrito, Best Pizza, Best Burger and Best Coffeehouse.

I live in the Grid and therefore have my own biases about restaurants that live in Downtown and Midtown. I prefer restaurants in this area to those found in the outlying areas. It would be interesting to see the results had it been limited to only restaurants in the Grid.

Best Burrito went to Chipotle, with Dos Coyotes coming in second and Ernesto's coming in third. Both Chipotle and Dos Coyotes are chains. The Grid has very few chain restaurants, and I wonder if the presence of chains amidst family-owned and unique Sacramento restaurants makes a difference in reader choice. Does the quality speak for itself?

Best Pizza went to Round Table. Granted, Chicago Fire and Zelda's picked up second and third place, but I wonder how a delivery-based chain is even allowed in the running. Did Hot Italian or Luigi's or Giovanni's make it in the top five?

For the category of Best Burger, there are quite a few restaurants that come to mind that did not make the top three. Jim Denny's, Whitey Jolly Cones and Nationwide Freezer Meats were all missing from page 115 for best burger. In-N-Out, however, took first place, the Squeeze Inn (deserving, in my opinion, one of the top three) made second and McDonald's placed third.

For Best Coffeehouses, Starbucks was voted first place, Peet's took second and It's a Grind made third. When I think of good coffeehouses, I think of the unique havens in the Grid. Temple comes to mind. So does Weatherstone and Naked Lounge. If I want ambiance and a coffee or tea that comes in a mug that was washed and that is reusable, I do not go to Starbucks. If I want free wi-fi that does not require a cellular account, I cannot go to Starbucks. If I want a swirled foam design on my latte, I will not go to a mass chain coffeehouse.

My coffee choices come from currently living in the Grid, although I did grow up in the suburbs.

After reading this list, I looked at Sacramento Magazine's website. At the bottom, it reads "Find the best that Sacramento, California has to offer at Sacramento Magazine Online. With fantastic features such as a restaurant guide, an entertainment and events calendar and monthly recipes, you’ll find everything you need to know about exciting Sacramento, California."

Now, I ask you - readers of The Sacramento Press - if you were to vote on Best Restaurants for The Sacramento Press (in the Grid), which ones would make your top three for best burrito, pizza, burger and coffeehouse?

Mascots to play kickball game at Raley Field

2009-07-16T23:02:41Z

The Sacramento River Cats' mascot, Dinger, is celebrating his 10th birthday this Sunday at Raley Field. The guestlist includes all of his mascot buddies and his best friend, Mr. Jelly Belly.

Prior to the River Cats game against the Reno Aces, Dinger and his friends will play in a mascot kickball game at noon. After the kickball game, all the players and kids at the ballpark will gather in the Coca Cola Kids Corner for his birthday bash. Dinger's Kids Klub members will receive a goody bag and cupcake. Balloon artists and face painters will be on hand, and the mascots will conduct a seventh-inning autograph session.

Below is a list of the two teams and their respective strengths that could prove key in the kickball matchup.

The home team lineup is:

Mr. Jelly Belly, first base. Mascot for Jelly Belly. Note: Always prepared with snacks.

Herky, left field. Mascot for Sacramento State. Note: Always swarms to the ball.

Smokey the Bear, third base. Mascot for U.S. Forest Services. Note: Puts out rallies, as well.

Humpty Dumpty, short stop. Mascot for Fairytale Town. Note: Known to crack under pressure.

Mr. Helmet, second base. Mascot for PG&E. Note: Able to light up opposing pictures.

Goldie, catcher. Mascot for Golden1. Note: Winner of multiple Goldie Gloves.

Chick-Fil-A, right field. Mascot for Chick-Fil-A. Note: Loves moo-ving runners over.

The Don, pitcher. Mascot for University of San Francisco. Note: Throws more curves than Lombard Street.

The away team lineup is:

Archie, short stop. Mascot for the Reno Aces. Note: Not always playing with a "full deck."

Gunrock, catcher. Mascot for UC Davis. Note: Too much horsing around.

Gus, third base. Mascot for the Sacramento Zoo. Note: Hops in and out of the lineup.

McGruff, first base. Mascot for West Sac Police Deparment. Note: Manager's best friend.

Mr. G, second base. Mascot for Yuba Sutter Gold Sox. Note: Always keeps eyes on the ball.

Powercat, center field. Mascot for University of the Pacific. Note: He keeps earning his stripes.

Cosmo, left field. Mascot for Sac City College. Note: Known for catlike quickness.

Thor, right field. Mascot for Stockton Thunder. Note: Always ready to bolt to next base.

Poppy, pitcher. Mascot for California State Fair. Note: Coaches say he's a late bloomer.

To purchase tickets, click here. For more information on Dinger's Birthday Bash or the River Cats game, click here.

All photos and information provided by Nick Lozito of the Sacramento River Cats.

Sac Press June 30 Interviewing Techniques workshop

2009-07-01T03:27:35Z

The Sacramento Press office was buzzing with questions at the Interviewing Techniques workshop on Tuesday, June 30.

Holly Heyser, Faculty Adviser for The State Hornet and Professional Journalist in Residence at Sac State, went over the key steps to a good interview.

About 12 people showed up and learned a lot about one another, firsthand accounts of what it's like to be a historian, what it's like to be a part of a television show and what it was like to offer aide to New Orleans residents as a part of FEMA.

The Sacramento Press holds regular journalism workshops each month on various topics.

To sign up for the e-mail list and receive invitations to future workshops, please e-mail journalism@sacramentopress.com

Bourbon & Branch to guest bartend tonight at Shady Lady

2009-06-16T20:00:38Z

Tonight, the Shady Lady Saloon will have two guest bartenders, Erick Castro and Owen Westfield of San Francisco's Bourbon & Branch.

Bourbon & Branch has a set of house rules that coincide with the simplicity and no-funny-business attitude of the Shady Lady:

No use of cell phones
No photography
No standing at the bar
Please speak easy (or quietly)
Don't even think of asking for a Cosmo
Please be patient as the drinks are labor-intensive

Bourbon & Branch used to be the location of the JJ Russell Cigar Shop which operated as a speakeasy from 1923-1935, complete with a password that needed to be uttered to gain admittance, a trap door that opened and led down to the bar and five secret exit tunnels for easy escape.

Erick Castro is one of the instructors for the Beverage Academy, a school of mixology that Bourbon & Branch offers to interested alcohol enthusiasts. The Beverage Academy teaches its students the history and intricacies of absinthe, Tiki cocktails, tequila, scotch and, of course, bourbon. Future classes will touch on gin and rum.

Castro and Westfield will be creating a slew of cocktails especially for Shady Lady patrons. Here's a list of the mouth-watering drinks available for tonight only:

Kentucky Buck
A thirst-quenching strawberry and ginger refreshment for those seeking refuge from the mundane and ordinary. Bulleit Bourbon infused with organic strawberries from Monterrey Bay Farms, fresh lemon juice, ginger beer, and Angostura Bitters.

The Laphroaig Project
A tropical and light cocktail featuring a peaty single-malt. Delightfully intellectual, yet wickedly visceral. Laphroaig Quarter Cask, Green & Yellow Chartreuse, Luxardo Maraschino, fresh lemon juice, and peach bitters.

Blame It On Rio
The Brazilians are well-known for many hedonistic traits and qualities and now with this drink, you can add one more indulgence to that list. Sagatiba Cachaca, Rothman & Winter’s Apricot Liqueur, fresh lemon juice, and bitters.

Casino Royale
Although, this drink is named after the famous novel written by Ian Fleming in 1953, the flavor is anything but fiction. Plymouth Gin, sloe gin, Luxardo Maraschino, fresh lemon juice, and orange bitters.

Rye Maple Fizz
Like the initial stages of an autumn courtship, this beverage is frothy and slightly spicy, yet balanced with just a touch of sweetness. Rye whiskey, fresh lemon juice, organic maple syrup, free-range egg white, Angostura Bitters, and soda.

Ambajador
Sexy, sinful and Latin. Allow this wayward cocktail to take you south of the border for a little passion-tinged journey to the heart of Jalisco. Keylime infused tequila, passionfruit, fresh lime juice, free-range egg white, agave nectar, and Indonesian cinnamon.

Wild Honey Punch
A punch that is both spiced and refreshing, yet sweet and complex, much like the kiss of an ex-lover … except without the early morning awkwardness and wayward feelings. Sagatiba Cachaca, Appleton 12-year Rum, Velvet Falernum, fresh lemon juice, organic wildflower honey, Indonesian cinnamon, seasonal fruit, and sparkling water.

The river is best enjoyed with a life vest

2009-06-15T19:44:31Z

The summer edition of the Sacramento Fire Department's Community Newsletter discusses the dangers of swimming in the river.

It mentions that the river bottoms can be uneven and have steep drop-offs and the currents are strong, so a life vest should be worn at all times.

Under the City and County of Sacramento ordinances, it is against the law for a child under the age of 13 to enter public waters without a life vest. Parents or guardians who do not put life vests on their children can be fined up to $500 and cited for a misdemeanor.

If you don't have a life vest on hand, there are plenty of places to borrow one.

The following fire stations have life vests for the public to borrow:

FIRE STATION 5 (731 Broadway)
FIRE STATION 8 (5990 H Street)
FIRE STATION 11 (785 Florin Rd)
FIRE STATION 15 (1591 Newborough Dr)
FIRE STATION 60 (3301 Julliard Dr)

For more information, visit sacfire.org,

The Sacramento Press to hold its first Tweetup Thursday night

2009-05-28T02:12:11Z

Hoping to meet more people and bring them to our office as well as support social media, we at The Sacramento Press will be holding our first Tweetup this Thursday, May 28, from 6 - 8 p.m.

We were very lucky to team up with Ricardo Robles, from Capsity Offices, Ronnie Ledesma, from Sacramento Social Media Club and Darby Flynn, from Chalk it Up! to connect with all sorts of artists and local businesses.

Thursday evening will be filled with belly dancing from Red Tent Belly Dance, performance art from Phoenix Gallery, wine tasting from MAS Wine and James David Cellars, break dancing from Capitol Roots Dance Studio, chalk drawing from Chalk it Up! artists, a presentation from the Sacramento Opera, music from DJ Reason and photography on our very own red couch.

Everyone who is participating in this Tweetup is on Twitter, and we thought it would be great to get creative and have them do what they do best all in one place, for everyone to enjoy.

You don't need to be on Twitter to attend this event, however, we will have computers available to sign up for an account if you're interested.

Our office has wi-fi available, so the active tweeters can take twit pics or tweet about the events of the Tweetup as they are happening.

To RSVP for the Tweetup, please visit this link.

Here's to a fantastic event Thursday night!

What's happening at the Capitol: May 11 and 12

2009-05-11T07:28:16Z

Here are the events at the Capitol occuring May 11 and 12:

Monday, May 11

9 – 11 a.m.

The Hmong American AD-HOC will hold a rally in support of General Vang Pao, a Hmong American community leader. An expected 500 participants will hold a peaceful protest on the west steps of the Capitol and then march to the Sacramento Federal Courthouse.

4:30 – 7:30 p.m.

The California Youth Connection will be holding a reception with music, food and tents for an expected 200 attendees at the south steps of the Capitol.

Tuesday, May 12

8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

The Health and Human Services Agency will be holding a blood drive in the Bateson Building Atrium with an expected 100 participants.

8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Foster Care Awareness will celebrate May being National Foster Care Month at the north steps of the Capitol with an expected 300 participants.

11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

California School-Age Consortium will hold its California Afterschool Challenge activities with tents, tables and food. The event will take place at the west steps of the Capitol and is expected to draw 200 attendees.

Downtown dinner and a movie for $30

2009-04-27T05:55:59Z

With Esquire IMAX Theatre's summer dinner deal, Netflix and Blockbuster rentals might sit around unwatched for a few extra days.

Starting Sunday, May 10, diners who have spent $20 or more at any downtown or midtown restaurant can see one of three movies for only $5. Dinosaurs Alive 3D, African Adventure 3D and Under the Sea 3D are all available for $5 as long as guests bring along their receipt from dinner.

For the other films that are being shown, including Monsters vs. Aliens 3D, Night at the Museum 2, Star Trek or Transformers 2, guests can receive a $5 discount off the full-price ticket.

The offer lasts until Monday, August 20, and is valid all days of the week except Saturday at the Esquire IMAX Theatre in Downtown Sacramento.

The IMAX tickets need not be purchased the same night as the restaurant dinner, however, tickets must be purchased within seven days of when the receipt was received.

The maximum amount of discounted tickets is four for one receipt.

The Esquire IMAX Theatre is located at 1211 K St. For more information, call 916-443-IMAX or visit the website at www.imax.com/sacramento.

Local chefs, community celebrate Adam Rains at Shady Lady

2009-04-22T07:07:59Z

Knives chopped, pans tossed and orders were shouted — it was an Iron Chef of sorts in the quaint kitchen of the Shady Lady. But instead of competing, a conglomeration of chefs came together to feed those who knew and loved Adam Gregory Rains, who passed away on April 17, 2009.

Rains was the victim of a car accident that left three people dead in St. Helena around 1 a.m. Friday morning.

His culinary career in Sacramento included working at Kru Restaurant, helping to open Tuli Bistro, and catering with Mulvaney's B&L. Rains had also begun attending the Culinary Institute of America this year.

One of Rains's coworkers from Kru said of him, "It didn’t matter how intense it got, he always made it a point to make everyone smile." She added that his famous laugh-inducing lines were “I love your face” and “I love your show.”

Jason Boggs, one of the owners of Shady Lady was happy to offer his bar to host the reception. Boggs said Rains had a “passion for life and for everything he did. He was an inspiration. He has a true chef’s soul and that’s what we’re trying to emulate here [today]."

Patrons of Mulvaney's B&L, Tuli Bistro and Kru Restaurant on Tuesday afternoon would find the chefs of these downtown restaurants missing from their kitchens.

That's because Patrick Mulvaney of Mulvaney's B&L, Adam Pechal from Tuli Bistro, and Billy Ngo, owner of Kru Restaurant, all showed up at Shady Lady to support one of the vibrant members of the chef community in Sacramento.

Well over 50 people filled the cozy booths and bar seats of the Shady Lady. Pechal, who worked closely with Rains to open Tuli Bistro, said, "If I get a quarter of this turnout at my funeral, I'll be happy."

The kitchen buzzed with activity as the chefs whipped up pastrami and Reuben sandwiches, sushi, pulled pork sliders, orecchiette pasta with peas and artichoke hearts and petit fours.

Blown-up photos, collages and bouquets decorated the interior of the Shady Lady. Both tears and smiles could be seen on the faces of those in attendance.

Mugs clinked together, and camaraderie filled the air as people huddled around the bar and embraced.

Kevin Ritchie of the Shady Lady and Robb Venditti from Mulvaney's B&L said of Rains, he was a "beautiful guy," "a great kid" with "good energy." Ritchie and Venditti added, "he's part of our community, the chef community — a brother in arms."

Here is a link to the obituary for Adam Gregory Rains.

Photographs taken by Jonathan Mendick.

Feb. 2, 2009 Intro to Journalism handout

2009-04-19T04:02:33Z

There’s news right under your nose!
Feb. 2, 2009
Holly A. Heyser, Professional Journalist in Residence, Sacramento State

Questions that help you find news

Do you see a problem that needs to be solved?
Is something happening that changes how you and your neighbors function?
Did you see an unusual event or happening
Can you see a new trend? (Magic Number: 3)
Is there an interesting new business or person in your neighborhood? (Or has one left the neighborhood?)
How are national trends (e.g., the economy) affecting you and your neighbors?
Do you know about something being planned?

So, what’s interesting? The test is this: Will you mention it to a friend or family member? If it’s worth mentioning to someone you care about, then it’s probably interesting.

What takes this from idle chatter to journalism?
FACTS. You have to know what you’re writing is true. This means you:

Observed it yourself
Were told about it in an interview with someone credible
Verified it with other sources
Found it in official documents

Two rules:

If you don’t know or can’t prove it, leave it out.
Even if you’re writing opinion, you must avoid presenting opinion as fact.

Writing
Getting ready:

Decide what you’re writing about.
Gather and make note of all facts that are immediately available. You’re looking for who, what, when, where, why, how.
Determine what you don’t know. If you can fill in the blanks quickly, great.
Think about how you would share this story with a friend or family member. What are the most interesting parts? They should be your focal point.

Writing

The lead of your story – the first paragraph – should provide key information to the reader. If s/he stops reading there, will s/he at least know what happened?
Write the rest of what you know in a logical order, which may be chronological or in order of importance.
Write what you don’t know. This can be a foundation for further research – or it can invite reader input that answers questions.

March 19, 2009 Interviewing Techniques handout

2009-04-19T03:56:22Z

The Art (and Science) of Interviewing

Martin Kuz, Senior Editor for Sactown magazine, March 19, 2009

Pre-Interview

Deciding what your story is about will help you determine what questions to ask. What are the primary points or themes you want to touch on in your story?
Who is your audience? Understanding who reads the publication you’re writing for – and what writing style that publication prefers — will also help you craft your questions.
Research your subject. Read what’s been written about the person. Depending on the story’s complexity, talk to other sources before you interview the main subject.
Prepare a list of questions and bring it to the interview. Ideally, you’ll have your questions memorized so that you can stay in the flow of the conversation, but the list can help if you forget a question or get sidetracked.
Practical matters: Pick a place that isn’t especially noisy (for taperecording purposes). Find out beforehand how much time the person has for the interview – you don’t want the interview to end with your most important questions left unasked. And always, always, always plan to take notes so that you have backup if your recorder malfunctions.

The Interview

Keep an open mind. Don’t assume you know how a subject will answer a question – you want to try to understand how he or she sees the world. But an open mind isn’t an uncritical one – don’t necessarily take everything a person says at face value.
Establish rapport. Some people are more comfortable than others giving an interview. But either way, you want to make the person feel less like they’re doing an interview and more like they’re having a conversation with you. Start with easy, open-ended questions that can’t be answered with “Yes” or “No” so you can draw out your subject.
Ask your questions and then listen. (In other words, don’t pull a Charlie Rose.) Remember: It’s the other person who’s supposed to be doing the majority of the talking.
Be patient – but not overly so. Always give your subject ample opportunity to answer a question because you never know what may
be revealed. At the same time, remember that this is your interview – if the person is ranging far afield on a tangent, don’t be afraid to (politely) interrupt and steer the conversation back to where you want it to go.
Save the toughest questions for last. If you plan to ask questions that might compel your subject to end the interview, wait until you’ve asked everything else first.
Don’t forget to ask for the person’s e-mail address and cell phone number if you don’t already have them so that you’ll have a way to follow-up if necessary.

Post-Interview

Don’t wait to transcribe your tape or go over your notes. It’s best to have the interview fresh in your mind when you review the tape or
notes for several reasons, including a) It will help you to more clearly see what were the most interesting responses, which in the normal flow of conversation can sometimes be missed; and b) You’ll have a better sense of what follow-up questions you may want to ask.
Organize your transcripts/notes into an outline so that you can see what topics and themes are most relevant and engaging.
If necessary, arrange a follow-up interview, making clear to the subject what points you want to delve into more deeply

Bringing Sacramento Press workshops to you

2009-04-19T03:49:13Z

It was suggested by one of the users of and contributors to the site that the Sacramento Press create a section where people can access the materials from the workshops that we hold. Many people who have been unable to attend the workshops have also requested copies of the handouts from the various workshops.

In order to better arm our readers with the tools that will help them write, there will be a section where all of the materials from the past workshops can be found. If you type in "SP workshops" in the search field, all of the articles and handouts dealing with our workshops will come up.

Also, in the future we will upload a video feed of the workshops, if people are interested, so that you can watch the workshops from your own home as if you were really there.

We still encourage people to attend our workshops, as we'd like the chance to meet you in person, however, we understand it's not always possible to make time in your busy lives.

If you have any other suggestions on how we can improve your experience with our site or feedback on how to make our workshops better, please email journalism@sacramentopress.com.

Interviewing Techniques workshop April 15

2009-04-14T21:10:50Z

For those of you who missed our first Interviewing Techniques workshop, given by Sactown Magazine's Senior Editor, Martin Kuz, we'll be having another one on Wednesday, April 15 from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Molly Dugan, an Assistant Professor of Journalism and Communication Studies at Sacramento State, will discuss how to tailor your interviews toward articles that you would be writing for Sacramento Press. Attendees will learn the art of interviewing and the types of articles that work best for our site.

We'll serve food at 6:30 p.m. and the workshop will start at 6:45 p.m.

Our office is located at 431 I Street, Suite 107 in the Amtrak station. We are in the same building complex as the Starbucks. If you are facing Starbucks, go around the building to the left and you'll see our Sac Press sign out front.

We recommend you find parking on the street, bike or take light rail, as the Amtrak parking lot charges $1.50 per half hour and we cannot cover the cost of parking. If you take light rail, we will give you two passes when you get here -- one to cover your trip here and one to cover your trip back.

Please RSVP by e-mailing colleen@sacramentopress.com.

Thanks, and we hope to see you there!

The first Second Saturday of spring

2009-04-12T10:23:13Z

The grid has never been so alive as during the Second Saturdays of spring and summer. April 11 saw thousands of Sacramentans, suburbians, families, hipsters, dogs, couples and friends enjoying the diverse offerings of galleries and nightlife in Midtown.

For those who haven't made a trip to Second Saturday, here's an idea of what you missed at April's Second Saturday.

20th Street Art Gallery hosted its 50/50 art show with 3,500 paintings decorating its walls and what seemed like just as many people crowding around the interior to catch a glimpse of each artists' collections.

Outside, the Zoo Human Project played mellow acoustic music to an audience of seated and standing fans. Around 8 p.m., six dancers from the Sacramento Ballet performed to the band's music and entertained the masses.

The Bicycle Kitchen hosted an outdoor patio party with an unlimited beer special for the price of $5.

DJ's were scattered around the grid, Plum Blossom is notorious for having a DJ and an enclosed area for those who feel inspired to dance.

Justin Powell positioned himself near 20th and J Streets to make balloon animals for passersby.

K Street, which has recently become more pedestrian-friendly with the addition of the pedestrian warning lights, saw quite a bit of foot traffic. Three street traffic officers with glowing sticks and orange vests directed cars and humans alike along the crosswalks of 20th and K.

Niello brought four smart cars to display on K Street, where people could climb inside and check out the 8.8 feet long, 5.1 feet tall and 5.1 feet wide vehicles.

The Velocab pedicabs patrolled the streets offering rides to the weary walkers.

Second Saturday proves that Sacramento is truly a destination. The Second Saturday in May will be held on May 9.

What else did you see at the April 11th Second Saturday?

Mark Forsyth contributed to this article.

Photographs taken by Mark Forsyth.

Sacramento Press workshop gets community writing

2009-04-10T05:19:43Z

Ballpoint pens wiggled, keyboards clicked and seven community members fought writer's block during the Intro to Journalism and Article Composition workshop at the Sacramento Press office Thursday evening.

Holly Heyser, faculty adviser for The State Hornet and professional journalist in residence for the Communication Studies Department at Sacramento State University, was on hand to help writers develop their stories and flesh them out onto paper.

Attendees brought ideas such as how to get a motorcycle license, what it's like to be a delegate for the Democratic National Convention, the Assembly bill that would legalize marijuana and the positive aspects of RT, among others.

Heyser gave basic advice about writing news stories and tailoring them to the Sacramento Press. She stressed the importance of good grammar, accuracy and breaking up your story into simple, easy-to-understand sentences and short paragraphs.

The headline and lead should also grab the reader's attention. Depending on the way your headline is worded, you might attract some people who are just searching on Google, according to Heyser, and even better, they might keep coming back to the blog or website.

Heyser also encouraged people to read their articles out loud after writing them.

As the workshop ended, participants walked away with stories in hand and the story-writing process know-how.

If you were unable to attend this workshop and would like to receive the powerpoint presentation, please e-mail journalism@sacramentopress.com.

Settlement reached on St. HOPE's use of AmeriCorps grants and education funds

2009-04-09T21:57:43Z

A settlement was reached today regarding St. HOPE's use of funds from AmeriCorps grants and education awards, thereby removing the suspension placed on Mayor Johnson from receiving federal stimulus funds as long as the terms of the settlement are completed.

According to Acting United States Attorney Lawrence G. Brown, St. HOPE Academy has agreed to pay $423,836.50 to settle the allegations that the funds received from AmeriCorps were not spent in accordance with the terms of the grant agreements and that St. HOPE did not properly document its expenditures.

The funds in question were received between 2004 and 2007, totaling $847,673. During that time, Kevin Johnson was the Chief Executive Officer and Dana Gonzalez was the Executive Director of St. HOPE. In September of 2008, the Debarment and Suspension Official for the Corporation for National and Community Service notified St. HOPE, Johnson and Gonzalez that they would be suspended from federal procurement and non-procurement programs during an investigation of the allegations of misuse of the AmeriCorps funds.

St. HOPE did acknowledge during the settlement that a portion of its expenditures from the grant awards was not adequately documented.

The terms of the settlement include Kevin Johnson paying $73,836.50 of the initial payment within five business days, with possible repayment by St. HOPE when it can financially do so; Gonzales paying $1,000 of the initial payment; and St. HOPE, over the course of 10 years, paying $35,000 per year, plus 5 percent interest, according to a stipulated agreement it has entered into for this settlement.

Additionally, Johnson and Gonzales are both required to enroll in a course titled, "Cost Principles," through Management Concepts, and complete this course within 120 days and submit written proof under oath that they have completed the course.

“The agreement reached strikes a proper balance between accountability and finality,” Acting United States Attorney Brown said. “St. HOPE Academy must pay a significant amount for its improper handling of AmeriCorps funds. The lifting of the suspension against all parties, including Mayor Johnson, removes any cloud whether the City of Sacramento will be prevented from receiving much-needed federal stimulus funds.”

The official Department of Justice press release should be available at this website later: http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/cae/press_releases/index.html

The R Street redemption

2009-04-06T05:38:45Z

In the alphabet soup of bars and restaurants to choose from in Midtown, a lot more R's will be popping up. Or at least there will be a lot more to choose from on R Street.

Magpie Catering, which is owned by Ed Roehr and Janelle Inouye, had its grand opening last Thursday, April 2. Swing in for a sandwich or salad. The daily menu for Friday, April 3 (pictured above), featured Niman ham and camembert cheese on ciabatta, a Petaluma chicken salad sandwich on a baguette with roasted peppers and paprika, black rice and grilled asparagus – among many other choices.

Magpie is open Monday through Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The time has finally come for the opening of The Shady Lady saloon. The speakeasy will open its doors to the public on Thursday, April 9.

According to Alex Origoni, one of the owners of The Shady Lady, one question comes up over and over again: "Aren't you worried, opening during a recession?" His stock response is, "We're opening a ’20's ’30's Depression-era jazz lounge, supper club, so we can swing with it."

The speakeasy will have live jazz performances, but no TVs, so come for the people, the conversation and the music, but not the latest sports game.

Burgers and Brew, which will give Sacramento another late-night destination, with its doors remaining open until the wee hours of the morning (possibly 4 a.m. Thursday through Saturday), is currently training its staff and preparing to open Saturday, April 11.

Derar Zawaydeh, one of the owners of Burgers and Brew, said he hopes to have the restaurant open by this weekend. "Approximate date April 11, maybe April 10," Zawaydeh said.

Top This, a yogurt shop, will be the cherry on top, but no date has been announced for its opening.

Click on the links in the article to see previous articles written about Magpie Catering, The Shady Lady and Burgers and Brew.

Pictured on the couch: Two of the three owners, Jason Boggs and Alex Origoni inside The Shady Lady. Garrett Van Vleck, also an owner, is not pictured.

Additional reporting done by David Watts Barton. Photos taken by David Watts Barton.

Object found on light rail not hazardous, investigation continues

2009-04-04T00:26:19Z

A suspicious package on a light rail train caused evacuations Friday morning, April 3.

The object was spotted by a citizen and reported to the light rail authorities. In addition to the local police and fire departments, the FBI, Federal Protective Services, Hazardous Materials Units, Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) and others came to survey the scene and follow the proper protocols for dealing with the item.

The item was described as being two bottles taped together filled with liquid, but these details could not be confirmed by the police department

Sindee Thomson happened to be on her way back from a Web 2.0 conference in San Francisco when the Amtrak train she was on had to be evacuated.

At first no explanation was given, Thomson said. "There was a conductor on each level of the train walking through and telling everybody that you must pick up all of your belongings and your bags and follow him and you’re to exit. You’re to go into the last car on the bottom and wait."

Roughly 200 passengers were let out with an armed police escort about 40 feet before the Amtrak station, according to Thomson.

The police explained the situation and told people to evacuate the area. "There was no panic. Everybody was orderly. No one was pushing. It was pretty calm, surprisingly," Thomson said.

It was determined that the object was not dangerous, according to Sacramento Police department spokesman Norm Leong.

The item has been taken into police custody as evidence. "We're still investigating why someone would put that item there," Leong said.

Both the Sacramento Police Department and the Sacramento Fire Department had robots on the scene to identify whether there was a threat posed by the item.

If anyone has information about who might have left the item on the light rail, please contact Crime Alert at 443-HELP or 1-800-AA-CRIME.

Below is an interview with Captain Jim Doucette of the Sacramento Fire Department as the police were on the scene.

Suspicious object found on light rail

2009-04-03T19:28:58Z

At 9:40 this morning, a suspicious object was spotted on the light rail and called in by a citizen at the Amtrak station on 4th and I Streets, causing a flurry of emergency vehicles to come to the scene.

The Sacramento Police Department responded, and the Sacramento Fire Department, HAZMAT team, Federal Protective Services, District Attorney's Investigator and the FBI were all on the scene.

Cars were not allowed into the Amtrak parking lot to allow for emergency vehicle access, however, people on foot were allowed into the station. According to Sergeant Norm Leong of the Sacramento Police Department Public Information Office, Amtrak and light rail will still be running.

"First thing they’re going to do is send the robot in and that’ll allow us to determine if it’s a non-explosive or explosive and then we’ll go from there," Leong said. "The idea is to use the robot to kind of take a look at the item and decide what they want to do with it."

Jim Doucette, of the Fire Department PIO, said that the robot is a fairly new device, but that it's been used in drills and training.

"Our robot has the ability to go in and not only videotape broadcast a TV picture back to the command post, but it also has the ability to take air samples or take a sample of liquid," Doucette said. "It’s a good tool for us. It's totally remote control. Somebody will be operating it from a joystick from far away. It puts the robot into a situation that could be hazardous instead of putting a body in there."

At 11:50 a.m., the object was being x-rayed and all lines were running but not making stops at the Sacramento Valley Station.

What's one percent?

2009-03-31T18:47:41Z

When you go to purchase something on April 1, 2009 and see that the sales tax has gone up by one percent, don't expect to hear "April Fools!" come out of the cashier's mouth.

Beginning on the first day of April, as part of the state's budget, sales tax will increase by one percent throughout California.

Sacramento County will now have a sales tax of 8.75 percent; Placer County and El Dorado County 8.25 percent; with the city of Placerville at 8.5 percent. San Francisco will have a 9.5 percent sales tax; Stockton will be at 9 percent. Davis, West Sacramento and Woodland will be at 8.75 percent as well, despite Yolo County being at 8.25 percent due to voter approved increases.

According to the Board of Equalization's website, the sales tax increase will be in effect until July 1, 2011, or July 1, 2012, depending on the result of the vote in May for the Budget Stabilization constitutional amendment.

May 11, 2009 will see another increase in postage. The first class rate for stamps will increase two cents from $0.42 to $0.44.

For more information on sales tax increases, visit the Board of Equalization's website.

S.O.S Ballet Week

2009-03-30T03:49:19Z

Looking to put a little bounce in your step as spring gets under way? Better yet, how about putting many more chassés, pliés and pirouettes into the Sacramento Ballet's performances? March 30 through April 4 is Save Our Sacramento Ballet Week. A variety of businesses have stepped forward to help raise money for the local dancers, so make it a point to stop by on one of these days.

On March 30, Ink Eats & Drinks will be donating 10 percent to the ballet all day long. It is located at 2730 N St.

Tuesday, March 31, Zuda Yoga is donating 15 percent of the day's class sales and will host the dancers during their 6 p.m. class. Zuda is located at 19th & O Streets.

From Tuesday, March 31 to Saturday, April 4, Firefly Salon and Boutique will be donating 10 percent if you mention of S.O.S. Ballet week. It is located at 5539 H St.

Starting Wednesday, April 1 and running through Saturday, April 4, ARareity Jewlery and Art Glass Gallery will be donating 20 percent of all sales. It is located at 1021 R St.

On Saturday, April 4, Heavenly's Yogurt will be donating 30 percent of its sales to the ballet. It is located on H & 56 Streets.

Also on Saturday, April 4, Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill will be donating 20 percent of sales when you present the discount flier,
which can be found here. Rubio’s is located in Natomas, on Truxel road.

If it's time for a haircut, or new bracelet — if you're craving Mexican food, frozen yogurt or sliders — or if you're looking to work
off some of these foods with a yoga session — why not choose one of these local businesses and help save the ballet in the process?

For more information and for future S.O.S. Ballet events, visit saveoursacballet.com.

Sactown magazine senior editor gives interviewing workshop

2009-03-21T00:15:49Z

Experienced journalists, students, photographers and community members delved into the art and science of interviewing during the Interviewing Techniques workshop given Thursday at the Sacramento Press office.

Martin Kuz, Senior Editor from Sactown magazine provided an in-depth approach to interviewing. Kuz has been a journalist for 15 years and has worked for alternative weekly and daily publications such as the Los Angeles Daily News, the Cleveland Scene, the Las Vegas Sun and has also been a staff writer for SF Weekly. He has won awards for a variety of stories, including a profile on Golden State Warriors coach Don Nelson, the U.S. Military's reluctance to divulge details on non-combat deaths in Iraq and an investigation into the hardball legal tactics of Wal-Mart.

The workshop covered pre-interview preparation, during-the-interview techniques, and post-interview tips to make sure you get the most out of the time you have with your subject. Kuz shared his experience interviewing Mayor Kevin Johnson, Darrell Steinberg, and even a pedophile and the victim and family.

Attendees enjoyed food from the L Wine Lounge and Urban Kitchen. Many of the people who came for the workshop were former journalists and were looking to get back into writing.

Our next workshop will be held on Tuesday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. It is perfect for those of you who have been intimidated or hesitant to post on our site. Geoff Samek, our editor-in-chief, will go over how to get the most out of the tools on our website. You can bring articles that you've been wanting to publish. If you have had any problems with our website, we can address and resolve them.

We will be serving food at 6:30 p.m. and will start the workshop at 6:45 p.m.

We hope to see you next week at our office, which is located at 431 I Street, Suite 107 in the Amtrak station. Please RSVP to colleen@sacramentopress.com.

!!! at Press Club

2009-03-18T20:54:27Z

One of Sacramento's most respected musical exports, !!! (pronounced chik-chik-chik, pow-pow-pow, or any other exclamation you prefer) will be making a rare hometown stand at The Press Club at 21st and P, starting tonight.

Rare because the band moved to Brooklyn, New York, a few years back, and has since become one of the top underground dance rock bands in the country, touring nationally and internationally to great critical acclaim. Their blend of funky dance grooves, electronic colors and rock extravagance has earned them a rabid following, many of the original members of which will likely be hitting the Press Club this week.

Three nights in a row makes this an event, particularly within the hip undergound. Showtime is 9 p.m., ticket price is $7, and this is a 21+ venue, so get there early. According to the underground music website undietacos.com, band members will be doing DJ sets as well as band sets.

The website Epitonic.com said of !!!'s debut, "It's an unruly collision between raw funk and ska-inflected punk. Sort of like the music you might have heard if Sly and the Family Stone had come of musical age as smart working class blokes in late '70s England hanging about with Gang of Four and The Fall. !!!'s rhythms are as nervous and jittery as they come, flayed by thin wiry guitars, then transformed into a strange kind of manic funk by sweaty horns that come in out of nowhere. Singer Nic issues dry, declamatory vocals that just serve to make the rhythms more intense. It's weird stuff, certainly like nothing you're used to, catchy in an almost wordless, amelodic way."

Opening acts for the shows will include MOM and the Misfits tonight, Ancient Sons on Thursday, and Friendly Creatures on Friday.

For more information, call (916) 444-7914 or visit http://www.myspace.com/clubpow.

This article was written by David Watts Barton.

Air Jordans

2009-03-17T05:25:16Z

Random hanging pairs of shoes on power lines has always been a source of confusion for me. I attempted to solve this mystery by calling the Sacramento Police Department, PG&E and SMUD.

According to Sgt. Darrell Martin, the hanging shoes are not a sign of gang activity, at least not from local gangs.

Brian Swanson, spokesperson for PG&E, told me that the hanging shoes could cause two major problems:

1. The shoes can weigh the wires down which can impact traffic. Tall trucks such as garbage trucks may snag the wires and cause power outages.

2. The shoes can also bring the two wires together which can short circuit the wires and cause damage to the electrical equipment on power poles, such as transformers and circuit breakers.

The worst case scenario, according to Swanson, would be if energized wires were brought to the ground because of the shoes.

Swanson advises that if anyone sees a safety issue — including a pair of hanging shoes that cause a wire to hang lower than normal or bring two wires together — they should report the problem to PG&E by calling 1-800-743-5000.

The SMUD representative could not be reached by the time the article went to press.

Does anyone else know the reasoning behind why people throw pairs of shoes on power lines? Has anyone done this personally? Can you refer me to anyone else who might know the answer to my longstanding question?

The pictures above were taken by laverrue and Dave Gorman.

How to avoid plagiarizing on the Sacramento Press

2009-03-11T23:38:42Z

While I was cleaning out my apartment over the weekend, I stumbled across a handout from my college days. I found it very relevant to what I'm doing now at The Sacramento Press, so I thought I would share it with our readers.

It was a handout on how to avoid plagiarism. Many of you may not take the time to read over these, but we at The Sacramento Press feel very strongly about credibility and transparency. While we are unable to fact-check and copy edit everything that gets published on our site, we still uphold a high level of integrity for our newspaper.

For those of you who may not be aware, we offer copy editing for anyone who wants to publish a story on our site. Simply email your article to journalism@sacramentopress.com and we'll send it back to you with edits.

If you have been unsure about what constitutes plagiarism, here's a few reminders, a refresher course if you will.

The tips below are taken from the UC Davis, Division of Student Affairs, Office of Student Judicial Affairs, Mastering the Art of Scholarship - which cites a section of J.R. Hendrickson's book, The Research Paper. Direct links to other resources on plagiarism can be found here.

What is the definition of plagiarism?
Plagiarism means using another's work without giving credit. If you use others' words, you must put them in quotation marks and cite your source. You must also give citations when using others' ideas, even if you have paraphrased those ideas in your own words.

Why should you be concerned about plagiarism?

If you plagiarize, you are cheating yourself. You don't learn to write out your thoughts in your own words, and you won't receive specific feedback from others geared to your individual needs and skills.
Plagiarism is dishonest and/or misleading, because it misrepresents the work of another as your own.
Plagiarism devalues others' original work. Using and submitting a professional's work as your own is taking an unfair advantage over students who do their own work.
It is wrong to take or use property (an author's work) without giving the owner the credit due. Further, copyright violations can result in damages, fines, or worse.

Guidelines for Avoiding Plagiarism

Use your own words and ideas. Practice is essential to learning. Each time you choose your words, order your thoughts, and convey your ideas, you can improve your writing.
Give credit for copied, adapted or paraphrased material. If you copy and use another's exact words, you must use quotation marks and cite the source. If you adapt a chart or paraphrase a sentence, you must still cite your source. Paraphrasing is restating the author's ideas, information, and meaning in your own words.
Avoid using others work with minor "cosmetic" changes. Examples: using "less" for "fewer," reversing the order of a sentence, changing terms in computer code, or altering a spreadsheet layout. If the work is essentially the same as your source, give credit.
There are no "freebies." Always cite words, information and ideas that you use if they are new to you (learned in your research). No matter where you find it - even in on the Internet or in an encyclopedia - you cite it!
Beware of "common knowledge." You may not have to cit "common knowledge," but the fact must really be commonly known. That George Orwell was the author of the anti-totalitarian allegory Animal Farm is common knowledge; that Orwell died at age 46 in 1951 is not.
When in doubt, cite. Better to be safe than not give credit when you should!

We will continue to hold workshops on journalism ethics, introduction to journalism, interviewing techniques, etc. We hope to arm our readers with as many tools as possible to improve their writing quality and our article quality. It's a win-win situation.

We hope that you will also take an active interest in keeping the content on our site honest and credible. The great thing about the comment section is that people can point out corrections if information is misleading or not accurate. The more people involved in reading an article, the more resources and knowledge bases are drawn together in one place. When there is a collaboration of resources, the more complete the picture is. No man is an island*.

Thank you for contributing to our site and for elevating the content of our articles by your commitment to integrity and by not plagiarizing.

If you have any questions whatsoever about what is considered plagiarism or writing in general, please email journalism@sacramentopress.com.

A networking night to remember

2009-03-11T06:53:19Z

The Sterling Hotel on 13th and H Street was filled with enthusiasm, entrepreneurial energy and estrogen, Tuesday, March 10.

A group from the Sacramento Press was fortunate enough to attend the monthly Accelerated Networking Dinner for eWomenNetwork. It was the first networking dinner any of us had attended.

Upon checking in, participants received their name tags and were encouraged to mingle among the other business professionals.

Two ballet dancers from the Sacramento Ballet performed while the attendees were getting set up and mingling.

Ron Cunningham, artistic director of the ballet, gave a speech about the upcoming events the ballet has planned (30 more for the rest of the season) and discussed the organization of the Save Our Ballet group, which hopes to raise $150,000. He also mentioned that the ballet had a new home on 14th and H Streets, where the Center for Performing Arts will house four of Sacramento's major classical arts in one building.

The event officially started at 6 p.m. when Suzi Sherman, executive managing director of the Sacramento eWomenNetwork, read the group's mission statement and introduced the women who had set up booths for the evening.

For a timed 60 seconds, each person sitting at the table gave an infomercial about who she was, what she did and what she was looking for in the next 30 to 60 days. Some women were looking for a new laptop, free publicity for an event they were organizing – it was not confined to just obtaining new clients.

Women from all different walks of life were in the mix, and there was one male member out of the more than 40 women in attendance. There was a DJ, green consultant, one-of-a-kind garment designer, professional display sign vendor, life coach, jewelry designer, and writing services specialist, to name a few.

The goal of the dinner was to make connections, not to pass out as many business cards as possible. Not everyone exchanged cards, only those who felt they could benefit from knowing the new contact.

Before dinner was served, attendees were split up into groups of eight to 10 by a pink deck of cards placed on the table for one more round of speed networking.

As dinner finished, Michelle Gamble-Risley, who has over more than 20 years of experience in communications and is a professional writer, public relations and marketing expert, according to her website, began her speech on being successful even in this economy.

Gamble-Risley was not the original scheduled speaker, but her interactive presentation on creating a vision proved to be very useful for the women and man involved.

The Accelerated Networking Dinner concluded with a raffle, which included a pedicure and wine adventure, two tickets to the Sacramento Ballet's Modern Masters, Abbreviated, an Afternoon Tea gift pack and cookbook and many other prizes.

Many of the women in attendance admitted that they have been to many networking events over the course of their careers, but that the eWomenNetwork dinners were the most enjoyable and the most successful.

To learn more about the Sacramento eWomenNetwork, visit ewomennetwork.com.

City Council meeting to determine fate of K Street redevelopment project

2009-03-10T07:57:24Z

Though it seems like an Onion story at first glance, downtown Sacramento's first ever mermaid tank may soon be constructed. Developers now await $8.6 million in funds from the City of Sacramento for the proposed construction of a pizza joint ("Pizza Rock"), a nightclub ("Frisky Rhythm") and a bar with a live mermaid tank ("Dive Bar").

Tuesday, the City Council will hear arguments supporting and opposing the project, brought about when the City of Sacramento sold its interests in the Sheraton Hotel to local developer David Taylor, of David Taylor Interests Inc., promising to set aside some of the proceeds for future David Taylor Interests construction projects like this one. Taylor was approached by San Francisco nightclub owner George Karpaty, who was interested in real estate in Sacramento and who owns the popular Union Square club, Ruby Skye, to work together on the three entertainment venues.

According to Ellen Warner, partner of David Taylor Interests, Inc., Karpaty has told them he's spent over 40 nights over the course of several months visiting establishments in Sacramento to see the types of venues already in place and determine what Sacramento may have a niche for.

The three proposed venues are independent ventures, not chains, and as a compromise to the opponents, each venue will have its own liquor license. According to the Report to the Redevelopment Agency and City Council of the City of Sacramento, Frisky Rhythm, whose name will most likely be changed, will cater to the 30 and over crowd, playing rock, rhythm and blues; Pizza Rock will feature pizza throwing by eight time world champion and chef Tony Gemignani; and Dive Bar will play vintage jazz and ratpack vocals.

From projects such as the US Bank Tower, City Hall, and the Cosmopolitan, David Taylor Interests has brought $325 million in private dollars to Sacramento over the past 25 years, Warner cites.

"Our only business is to promote Sacramento," Warner said, also adding that the project would create 100 jobs for the construction and another 100 jobs once the venues were open.

"We respectfully disagree with the idea that it's not possible to attract more people to downtown. It's an embarrassment for our city that [K Street] has been vacant" for so long, Warner added.

Michael Ault, executive director of the Dowtown Sacramento Partnership, cited in an email interview that a survey was conducted of 5,020 Sacramento-area residents to test whether or not a concentrated district of active urban entertainment would bring new customers. The survey found that 72 percent of respondents would indeed patronize Downtown more if there were more restaurants and entertainment venues to choose from and that 84 percent wanted to see more restaurant and entertainment venues Downtown.

Ault also added that “there are 761,213 people between the ages of 30 and 59 within thirty miles of downtown, making the potential customer base over 550,000 (there are an additional 271,105 between the ages of 20-29).”

Another concern that Ault addressed was the 100,000 downtown office workers who work near K street. He said that these workers “support all businesses downtown and as long as K Street remains blighted, we run the risk of reducing our existing customer base and there by hurting all businesses,” one such agency moved in 2007, as reported in Bob Shallit's column the Bee in 2007 when the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development moved from K Street to R Street because its employees were "fed up with crime and blight."

Business owners and those who live near the project's proposed location at 1016-1022 K Street are torn because in this economy they would like to see the seedy K Street area revitalized. The proposed construction might attract more people to the area, however many fear that it could put other downtown restaurants, clubs and bars out of business.

"It's an issue of timing. This time the economy is so bad, that [other businesses on K Street] worry that they're not going to make it," said Rob Kerth, executive director of the Midtown Business Association and former City Councilmember. He said that about 80 percent of local hospitality businesses are against the construction.

In fact, local business owner Mason Wong of Mason's Restaurant, Ma Jong's Asian Diner, and The Park Ultra Lounge has headed the project's opposition along with members of the Midtown Business Association. At the time of press, there were 355 signatures on the petition against the construction project. Sacramento residents, business owners and employees will protest the construction before the City Council meeting on Tuesday at 5 p.m. outside City Hall.

Matt Haines, owner of the Bistro 33 restaurants in Midtown and Downtown is also opposed to the project. "They've spent $25 million on one corner, 10th and K," he said.

"How is a pizza restaurant going to draw people from out of town? The city is becoming one of our competitors. We're battling day-to-day, it's very hard times. We've been adjusting hours and letting people go. I wish they'd take that money and put it in housing down there," Haines added.

"I don't think a bar, restaurant or nightclub is going to remake K Street; the goal needs to be housing," added Kerth.

According to Ellen Warner of David Taylor Interests, Inc., construction could begin as soon as April if the project is approved.

It should be a very packed house at the City Council meeting on Tuesday night.

A follow-up article will be written after the City Council meeting to report the results.

This article was written in collaboration by Jonathan Mendick and Colleen Belcher.

January - March birthdays can celebrate at Fats

2009-03-06T20:27:41Z

Did your birthday pass recently, but you long to celebrate it a few more weeks? Pout no longer, because if you were born in January, February or March, you can receive a free entrée and a slice of banana cream pie from any Fat’s Asian Dining restaurant with their Chinese New Year birthday special.

According to Jerry Fat, president of Fat’s Restaurants, the Fat family has been doing this promotion for at least the last four or five years.

"January and February are usually slow months because it's right after the holidays," Fat said. They extended the promotion through March as a way to accommodate the tough economic times. Fat compared it to what others have been doing on “Furlough Fridays.”

“Unlike the American New Year which is celebrated on one day only, Asians like to celebrate Chinese New Year for weeks,” Fat said.

The “Chinese New Year” has a floating date because it is based on the lunar calendar, so it typically falls sometime between the end of January to the end of February, according to Fat.

In order to receive a free entrée and slice of banana cream pie, just show a valid driver's license or birth certificate. The promotion is for parties of two or more and ends March 31, 2009. The maximum discount diners can receive is $18.

For a complete listing of the Fat’s Restaurants locations, visit fatsrestaurants.com.