Great insights Andrew. I appreciate that you have offered some measured steps for business owners to begin plotting their way in the new economy.

Thanks Barry for featuring a story about the less heard of Fair Oaks Theatre Festival. My wife and I took in an enjoyable night recently in the Village that involved a show. The quaintness of the Village and the intimate theater make for a great combination. I am glad to see them get some attention.

Great write up Jane. These panelist should provide us with a unique angle on how social media is changing the way art is created, promoted, sold, and celebrated.

Thanks for sharing this David. My wife and I enjoy when we can take in the great Second Saturday festivities in midtown. I had no idea that this great Third Saturday events were being organized. Let's make every day a great day to visit Sacramento! Great Job Adam Saake and TAIS. What a great way to treat local Sacramento small businesses to some great exposure.

I applaud the Sacramento Press in it's continued efforts to improve itself as a platform for ALL who wish to be heard and to listen to others in the community. As a occasional writer and commenter on the site, I am impressed by your continued efforts to improve accessibility to the conversation, as well as the quality of the conversation itself. It can be a painstaking process, especially when you have the likes of those who piss on your writings under the pseudonym of dead presidents. What happened to Bbbmer is a bummer. Perhaps he/ she can refine their habits and return as a more responsible community member. Cheers to you Geoff for making yourself the scapegoat and openly publishing the actions of the site. We will continue to watch and hold accountable as you all proceed with your refining process. Thank you for your gift to the community.

BloodSource is a first rate organization. I myself was hospitalized for surgery late last year. While I did not receive any blood during my emergency procedure, it would have never crossed my mind that it may not be available. This is because of the diligence of the folks at BloodSource. They collect blood all throughout the Central Valley and supply units and plasma not only to area residents, but to other major cities that have shortages, and to troops overseas. For about an hour of your time you really can save 3 lives. Thank you for your story Emily.

Thank you Lesley. Not always when you get to meet people for these events are they as charming as Kristy. She has a wonderful story and it was a pleasure to get to meet her and share it with the Sacramento Press readers.

Xavier. Thank you for your inspiring piece. There are many once beautiful parts of our town that merely require a passionate few to take notice and help to restore some neighborhood pride. Way to lea the movement. Sacramento will be a better city for it.

Great profiles Suzanne. It's always good to get a pulse on the local small businesses that are working to keep our local economy afloat! I enjoy hearing how these small businesses find innovative ways to cut cost, provide better service, or to increase customer loyalty. The businesses you have profiled represent some great niches that I hope continue to find ways to thrive through the difficult economy.

Mark, you are correct that user / subscriber counts can be extremely mis-leading. Utilizing statistics from Pew and Nielsen as well as monthly traffic figures can help to paint a more accurate picture of a site's popularity / relevance. I would be interested in whether there are any businesses which you enjoy interacting with through social media, and how that affects your buying habits with those businesses. This is the heart of the article, how do we convert virtual interactions into in-person transactions for local small businesses? Any ideas?

Lesley, I would be interested in any anecdotal stories about how social media has been of help to some of your customers. I enjoyed your participation in the recent Social Media Club panel on social media for non-profit organizations. Your organizations contribution to a few of the participating non-profits was clear.

Ben, correct that the Survey was on the use of status updates. These statistics represented the more avid users of these services, rather than the inflated number of people who have a profile but rarely log in or utilize the service.

Thanks Colleen. I will have to check out the Cakegrrl. I always like to see who is doing well and how they do it.

Wow. What fun. I would love to have done something like this. My family did participate in the Run to Feed the Hungry, but I was thinking the best way to get out of there was on bike. I wish I knew more about the Underground Parade, but of course then it would not be very underground. Thank you Elisa however for introducing me to a couple of wonderful local charities. I will definitely be paying more attention the the Sacramento Bike Kitchen.

savemidtown, I like your thinking. Especially in those areas you have cited where an ever increasing percentage of the patrons are from the neighborhood, it is advisable even more so that the owners engage the community. That is in fact why we locate businesses in these areas is it not? Owners that neglect the community in which they live not only miss out on a great opportunity, but actually do great harm to their bottom line. As you have pointed out, people notice.