'zactly. (To the moderator's credit, she did correct herself from that moment on.) :-D

Ah, man. Even when I fix it, I'm all thumbs on the keyboard! Just call me Mellisa Korcer from now on. :-)

My stars!! I'll correct immediately, Issac.

We hired the Busy Bus (video game version) for my son's 15th birthday – he and his friends LOVED it. Dave was incredible! He set everything up, kept nearby to make sure all went smoothly, and the kids had a great time. Great re-use of a city bus.

Thank you, Squinter. A forum preview article is available here: http://sacramentopress.com/headline/67673/Candidates_prepare_to_face_off_in_forum_Saturday But, to summarize: All questions are selected in advance. There will not be opportunity for audience-driven questions at the forum. The panel of moderators will be members of the media, however, other than myself, I do not know who else is scheduled to be on the panels. The event will be at the County Administration Building, 700 I St. It begins at 9 a.m. The public – voters, residents and interested persons alike – are invited to attend, however there is limited seating in the Board of Supervisors Chamber where the candidates will be speaking. The event will be televised on Metro Cable Channel 14, and replayed after the event on Metro Cable. Check their listings for additional showings. I'm sorry I do not know the exact format – timing, rebuttals, opening/closing statement allotments, etc. I hope you are able to attend or watch on Channel 14, though!

Mr. Hilbert-Garcia failed to qualify for the ballot initially, so he he is taking steps to be a write-in candidate. Read about it here: http://sacramentopress.com/headline/66955/Edgar_Garcia_returns_as_writein_candidate_for_mayor

Rhonda, there are definitely many crime-related/law enforcement-related questions for the candidates to address. Can you give me the one "top" question you'd like to have asked on the subject?

Flood control is a big issue in our area, particularly for Natomas, Tom. It's definitely something the Council and Mayor will need to have on their radar if funding opportuities for levee repair are pushed forward in Congress. Great question!

Thank you, evak – questions about candidates' affinity for the people they represent – not just the city itself – can be telling. I would opine that it's not just buildings, parks and events that make a city what it is, but the "personality" of the people, overall, that bear on a city's 'atmosphere' (for lack of a better term).

Great question, Izzy! Especially since the forum is on the eve of Mother's Day. Thank you for the suggestion.

It looks like the City Manager's office is actually being cut by more than $400K. Finance Director Leyne Milstein said this today, regarding the City Manager's office budget numbers: "The overall reduction in the Manager’s Office budget is $423,450. (Of that amount), $129,839 is associated with the elimination on 1 FTE [full-time-equivalent position] to achieve General Fund savings." The rest of that budget reduction, Milstein said, comes from moving 3 more positions out of the City Manager's office and into other areas with different budgets. The 1 eliminated position is a current vacancy and not a "person-out-the-door' layoff, Milstein said.

I'm looking into this question, and will get more information posted on it as soon as I can.

I am a writer, yet I don't have adequate words to express my gratitude for the opportunity to have worked with you. I do, however, have the words to say I'm sorry for all those Tuesday nights... I often forget that not everyone sits at the edge of their seats with me over council votes! You are a beautiful person, inside and out, and The Sacramento Press has been lucky to have you for as long as they did. Now, it's (not "its") time for you to take your own brand of wonderful to other mountaintops and share your gifts and talents with others. Lucy, lucky them to receive you. All the best to you, deer. (yeah, that's what I wrote...)

Just a question, Rhonda – I really do not have all the information. Was the second victim in this incident a known gang member? I only ask because I am curious if the second victim is not discussed much because of his alleged role in the shooting. I don't mean to imply that his death is any less significant to (clearly, he is mourned by his friends and family and mother), but perhaps the focus is not on his death because he played an active role in the incident, whereas the young mother who was slain was not an active participant? I know you are one who analyzes these situations very carefully – that is why I ask you the question.

Bill, thank you for your comments. "NAG" is in the title of the article, and in the headline on the front page. It may not appear in the headline on the Politics page due to space constraints, though. As for the tags, I have added both "NAG" and "Neighborhood Advisory Group" to the list.

I didn't realize there is actually a law on the books to deal with this situation. I always believed that the person who does the breaking up surrenders the ring. If he breaks it off, she keeps the ring (as a consolation prize? That doesn't sound quite right, does it?). But if she breaks it off, she gives back the ring – as a polite gesture of good will, if nothing else. I suppose, however, there are circumstances (as the law states) where it might not be "just" to return the ring... if, say, the engagement had been especially long, or the reasons for breaking up were especially severe. To ask for the ring back after a year or more would seem almost petty. I guess you can say that, not only is marriage not easy – it would seem that engagements an be perilous, too.

This is yet another reason to love local theater: everyone can play a part. Congratulations to the kids – all of them – for having the guts to give it a try and the brainpower to spin such delicious tales!

I, too, fall into the category of high-hopes-low-funds... and I'm at peace with that. I could have bought a small latte with my $2 but I opted for 'hope' instead. (Sorry Brandon, I didn't have the $176 million to go all out...) If my hope should see me through to a large windfall, I'd be happy to make a donation to whatever cause you think is most worthy, Mark. (Along with the other causes already have on my list). It's the least a new gazillionaire should do. :-)

I was honored to be your guest.

According to Jim Combs, director of Parks and Rec Dept, rose garden event rentals have been about $5,000 to $7,000 annually (the amount has declined along with use of the garden, thanks to it's disrepair in recent years). That number, according to Friends of East Sacramento, is far below the annual maintenance and operation costs. They do not appear to be in a position to make a profit on the deal. The agreement does talk about what will happen if the revenue from event rental exceeds the operating and maintenance costs: the money must directly benefit McKinley Park and its related facilities. Events at the rose garden have typically been weddings, family gatherings and photo sessions. The city rented out blocks of time for specific use of the garden, typically 2 to 3 hours at a time, and generally on weekends. The agreement does not specify which events will or will not be allowed, only that the leasing group cannot discriminate in it's rental decisions. This has been the case when the city controlled the garden, and there is no reason to believe the parameters for renting the garden would change, other than, perhaps, pricing.