The Sacramento River Cats beat the Reno Aces 8-4 on Friday before a sell-out crowd in its season home opener. This is the Cats' 11th season in Sacramento. The game began with a tribute and moment of silence for Art Savage, who died in November of lung cancer. Savage, who was the first president of the San Jose Sharks, is credited with bringing the River Cats to Sacramento and the construction of Raley Field. Jersey No. 1 was retired Friday and will hang on the outfield wall in his honor. The crowd cheered and performed the wave, as the game began. Fans followed every pitch count and on-field play. "The crowd is always intense and excited," said Steve Sepulveda, a longtime season ticket

Just just off the campus of Sacramento State, across from the arboretum, lies a nature trail that is being repaired. Under the guidance of Prof. Michael Baad, students are trying to repair the trail and fix the ecosystem. They plan on planting plants native to California and improving the existing eucalyptus grove. "Our goal is to have this area used as a real teaching tool," said student Nick Macias. "Hopefully, we can connect the trail to existing Sac State trails." Macias works in conjunction with Baad on the weekends to improve the trail. Macias' goal is to improve the entrance and make it more accessible. Donations are being sought for rail ties, gravel, wood planks, shovels. Volunt

Artistic Differences theater company opened a monthlong run of the hit musical "Reefer Madness" Friday evening. According to director Christine Nicholson, the company's largest cast ever is putting on this Capitol Stage musical production about a 1936 murder trial. "The subject is also especially worth exploring, considering the upcoming California ballot," she added. The story is based on the original musical appeared Off-Broadway in 2001, which in turn was based on the B-movie cult classic. Nicholson said she thinks this is the area's first performance of "Reefer Madness." The musical features many of the same characters as the film: Mae, Sally, Ralph and Jack. Mary Lane and Jimmy are

The question has been asked since the beginning: Is wrestling real or fake? World Wrestling Entertainment blew into Arco Arena Sunday night for a taping of its hit show WWE Friday Night SmackDown. Fans were treated to hard-hitting superstars as they prepared for Wrestlemania XXVI in Phoenix this Sunday. I wondered the question myself as I sat in the dark, the smell of fake smoke surrounding me from Undertaker's entrance. Children and adults in their matching favorite superstar's T-shirt screamed and clapped to the rhythm of the match. Daughters and sons sat in their fathers' laps as they bonded under the scoreboard. Children who saved their allowance money or who raked neighbor's leaves

They are athletes with a difference. They compete at the same level as their peers, but disabled athletes must train harder and push their limits further. That level of dedication was exemplified on March 20, a sunny afternoon near Yosemite Hall at Sac State, by about 30 kids and adults participating in activities sponsored by Access Leisure and Paralympic Sport Sacramento. The participants came from all over Northern California for a day of quad rugby, sled hockey, hand cycling and more. They were invited to try every activity with equipment loaned by the group. Volunteers came from different paralympic sport backgrounds, including champion hand cyclists and a quad rugby coach. "We wan

If finishing my last midterm was the cake, then watching Upright Citizens Brigade was the icing. And I had my fill when UCB performed its classic improv sketch comedy for an hour and a half Thursday before a crowd of 200. Walking into the University Ballroom at Sacramento State, I could feel the energy as everyone waited for the show to begin. With UCB's television show long canceled, the only chance for viewing the show is at its Los Angeles or New York City theaters. While I waited, I remembered a phone call earlier in the week: "We take 15-22 of the best performers from both theater casts for the touring production," said director and coordinating producer Carter Edwards. "What peopl

Dye the rivers green and dance in the streets, Saint Patrick's Day is here. A day when everyone is Irish and people takes to the streets for music, food and green beer. Below is a collection of restaurants and bars in Midtown and downtown offering specials on food and drinks and even hosting a block party or two. de Vere's Irish Pub, 1521 L Street, is hosting their second annual St. Patrick's Day Block Party, closing off L Street between 15th and 16th. The street party will feature music by '80s cover band Tainted Love and the California Fire Department Pipes and Drums. Sandwiches, brats and other food will be sold to soak up the alcohol from the two outdoor bars and whiskey tent. Advance

Veterans all over the region are homeless, struggling to find their next meal. They served their country with pride and now find themselves in dire straits. Enter the Student Veterans Organization from California State University, Sacramento. Until March 26, all nonperishable donations are being accepted by the club. There are several drop-off bins located in the Sac State student union that are available for anyone to use. Donations can also be made to the Student Veterans Organization, located in Lassen Hall. All donations will benefit the Sacramento Veterans Resource Center. The center has multiple ways of assisting veterans from every generation. It provides counseling, housing, empl

"You say cut back. We say fight back!" The screams and cheers of thousands of students could be heard as far away as three blocks. Students from CSU and UC campuses all over the state rallied against education cuts on the north steps of the Capitol Thursday. The "Educate the State" rally was organized by the California Faculty Association and CSUS. Students and professors rallied side by side under the common cause of improving higher public education. The two-hour event was marked by speeches from professors, students and some legislative officials not afraid of facing the crowd. The message was clear: stop cutting the higher education budget and increasing fees for students. Student f

Dust off your walking shoes, collect donations and prepare to Race for the Cure. The annual 5K run/walk and one-mile fun run takes place Saturday, May 8, at Cal Expo. Breast cancer is a major killer in the United States, and 5 percent of all disease diagnoses are men. The Susan G. Komen foundation is a leader in breast cancer research and awareness. The foundation holds different fundraising events throughout the year, but the Race for the Cure is the main one. This year, the Sacramento Komen Foundation's goal is to raise more than $1.8 million. Seventy-five percent of all donations collected stay in the Sacramento region with the money going toward public education and awareness. The o

Sacramento's Beer Week is in full swing. Bars and restaurants all over the city are celebrating by offering special dinners, drinks and events. Mulvaney's Building and Loan hosted its Pigs-n-Pints event Tuesday evening. Guests were treated to a delicious five-course meal, family style, in the events room at the corner of 19th and L Streets. The packed room of men and women came from all over the Sacramento region. Business professionals, civic leaders and students all sampled the beer and food. The meal was prepared under the watchful eye of owner Patrick Mulvaney with the entire kitchen crew pitching in. The first course consisted of fresh asparagus with country ham and Vega farm eggs

Academy Award season is here. On March 7, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present the winners with an Oscar, one of the world's most famous and coveted statues. Categories include Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay. A lesser known category is for short films, animated and live action. The Crest Theatre, 1013 K St., is showing the Oscar-nominated shorts through Feb. 25. Each program, animated and live action, lasts about one and a half hours. The animated program contains five Oscar-nominated shorts and three bonus shorts. They aren't just pen and pencil animation; claymation and computer animation also are included. "This is great," said attendee Maggie

It's once again time to break out your masks and beads. Mardi Gras is here, and Sacramento is full of different events to dance, eat and drink the night away in true Mardi Gras fashion. The Mix Downtown, at 1531 L St., is throwing a Mardi Gras party Wednesday, Feb. 17. The party will take place on the patio of Mix, above de Vere's Irish Pub. Drink specials include $6 Hurricanes and go from 9-11 p.m. The party doesn't stop until 2 a.m., and Mix is providing free beads. Old Sacramento is also having a Mardi Gras extravaganza. The Mardi Gras Pub 'n' Grub Crawl will be held throughout the streets of Old Sacramento Saturday, Feb. 20, starting at 4 p.m. The self-guided crawl will feature food

Under a slew of military flags, banners and pictures of troops, volunteers at Cal Expo collected care package donations Friday. They were members of the Defenders of Freedom a local nonprofit organization that assists servicemembers and their families. Toiletries, games and DVD's were among the most requested items by troops serving around the country and overseas. The items were being assembled into care packages for troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. "Both my sons serve in the Army," said Maria Elena Szlachciuk, founder of Defenders of Freedom. "These items, combined with letters and cards, can lift a soldier's morale." The California chapter was founded in 2007 after a similar chapter s

This is not your traditional ballet. Gone are the tutus and stuffy elevator music, replaced by colorful costumes and toe-tapping music in what is called Pop Ballet. At the Community Center Theatre on Thursday, hundreds of people strolled through the grand entrance, cocktails in hand, ready to enjoy an evening of ballet. Thursday through Sunday night, the Sacramento Ballet is performing sections from three ballets: "Nine Sinatra Songs," "Second Before the Ground" and "Frankie and Johnnie." Each ballet ran about 30 minutes, separated by an intermission. The first ballet of the evening, "Second Before the Ground," featured African drumming. Sixteen dancers performed African dances choreogra

Elsewhere in the galaxy, different heroes had their mission. Released just seven months after Star Wars in 1977, Hardware Wars is the original science fiction spoof. Tuesday, Feb. 16, Hardware Wars will be available to fans all over the world. Local company Apprehensive Films will release it for the first time on DVD. Hardware Wars centers around the hero, Fluke Starbucker and his fight against evil and Darph Nader. Piloting a giant cassette tape, Starbucker leads the heroes away from evil. Ham Salad and Chewchilla join Starbucker and his fight against evil. From a basketball planet, Starbuckers flashlight (lightsaber) and flying bottle openers, Hardware Wars surprises viewers in every s

Love is in the air but more importantly, so is butter. Although Valentine's Day is fast approaching, don't worry. There is still time to book a romantic evening. Restaurants all over town have special menus to mark the occasion. Below are menu samplings from several local restaurants: Paragary's, 1408 28th St., and Cosmo Cafe, 1000 K St., are having a special weekend prix fixe menu in honor of Valentine's Day. Paragay's menu will include an appetizer, entree and dessert. Entree choices are petrale sole or beef short ribs braised in red wine. Cosmo also will offer three courses, with an entree choice of roasted lamb loin chop or grilled Hawaiian swordfish. After your meal at Cosmo, keep t

Imagine having the chance to see one of your favorite artists play a solo acoustic show walking distance from your apartment. Now, realize that day is Super Bowl Sunday. This was my predicament as I walked toward the Blue Lamp, 1400 Alhambra Blvd., to see Black Francis of the Pixies. Licking the buffalo wing sauce from my fingers after putting on a jacket over my "I Love New Orleans" shirt I walked inside. Inside Blue Lamp, the excitement was contagious. An estimated 60 people were anxiously waiting for the show to begin. Most were passing their time smoking cigarettes out front or drinking by the bar. Since I don't smoke, I went to the bar. With a beer in hand, I felt the show could beg

Sutter's Fort is located at 2701 L St. and was open to the public for museum day.   Photo #1: Welcome sign to Sutter's Fort on L St. Photo #2: Perimeter wall running parallel to L St. Photo #3: Cannons are still in place to defend the fort (looking out at L St.) Photo #4: Free crafts for museum day guests Photo #5: The Weaving Room Photo #6: Courtyard inside the fort Photo #7: Pond located outside the fort in the park   Photos courtesy of Matthew Ceccato

The match is set, the field is prepared and history is ready to be made. Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts will face off against the high powered explosive offense of the New Orleans Saints in Super BowlXLIV in Miami on Sunday. Manning and the Colts will return to the site of their Super Bowl win in 2007. On that rainy Sunday, the world saw Prince play the electric guitar in high heels and Manning win the MVP title. The Colts return to Miami with a plan to follow the samegameplan from four years ago. They are staying at the same hotel and have the same team rule that players and family cant stay at the same hotel. The only difference is Jim Caldwell is now head coach, ex-head coac