City Happenings

The Musical of Musicals: The Musical!

2011-01-17T07:37:02Z

A crazy-eyed landlord struts around his apartment, plotting the death of whichever of his emotionally unstable tenants mistook his artistic masterpiece for common garbage, when a loud screech pierces the intimate theater. The audience jumps. The landlord rears in apparent surprise. The screech lasts for over five seconds. Finally, it stops. The landlord peers over his shoulder, toward the door and proclaims, "The doorbell!" The audiences erupts in laughter.

This is just one of several hilarious moments in the Sacramento Theatre Company's production of “The Musical of Musicals: The Musical!”

Written by Eric Rockwell and Joanne Bogart, “The Musical of Musicals” takes a single plot and applies it to five parodies of the modern musical.

The first vignette "Corn!" is based on the works of Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein II. Jerry Lee plays Big Willy, a Midwest farm boy with an uncontrollable zeal for corn. His dilemma comes when he has to decide between traveling the world and saving his romantic interest, June (Jessica Goldman), from having to pay her rent. Not doing so will force June to marry Jitter, the sleazy landlord, played by Michael RJ Campbell. Martha O. Knight plays Mother Abby, the guiding inspiration for the solution to June's recurring rent problem in all five scenes.

The other vignettes parody the works of Stephen Sondheim, Jerry Herman, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Kander and Ebb, respectively. Allusions are made to popular Broadway musicals such as “Sweeney Todd,” “Cats,” “Phantom of the Opera” and “Chicago.”

As an admitted tenderfoot to Broadway and musical theater in general, I should say that many of the references to the original material escaped me, but that didn't stop me from laughing out loud when Billy ripped Phantom Jitter’s mask from his face, only to reveal that he was, in fact, a cat! And not just any cat: a cat of many colors.

The closing scene was the strongest. A flamboyant Jütter demands rent from the saucy Juny, who is admonished by Fraulein Abby in dramatic song to simply sell her body. Juny takes her advice and offers, but the ambiguous Jütter swiftly refuses. All seems lost until Billy, Juny's former lover and newly self-discovered homosexual, gets out of jail and offers his own body to pay the rent. Jütter's response is immediate and enthusiastic, "Yaaawwww!" Once again, Billy saves the day.

This and the second vignette showcased the character's strengths more so than the leading "Corn!" For all the cheeriness in Rogers and Hammerstein's style, it was the twisted, dark realities of Sondheim, Kander and Ebb that gripped my attention the most.

The cast was well-balanced and executed their roles almost flawlessly. Campbell's theatrics and Lee's impeccable vocals converged on Knight's grace and Goldman's stage presence for an evening of laughs and memorable show-tune spoofs.

The show runs through Feb. 20 at STC's J. Arliss Pollock Stage at 1419 H St.

Ticket and show time information here.

Images courtesy of Sacramento Theatre Company

Roller rink comes to Midtown

2010-12-03T20:13:28Z

Midtown might be missing the MARRS ice skating rink from last year, but it will catch a bargain with Winter Rollerland starting Friday night at the Midtown Bazaar's indoor location.

Three weeks ago realtor Sabrina Berhane and her associates decided to put together a roller skating rink where the community can enjoy the nostalgia of skating to 80's pop and the glint of a disco ball.

So they threw a couple dozen hay bails in a circle, wrapped some faux-snow and tinsel around the parking garage columns, and are hoping for at least 10,000 people to skate through by New Years weekend.

Berhane organizes the Midtown Bazaar and is hoping the roller rink will provide some entertainment in the cold and rainy season, and bring attention to the Bazaar's indoor location.

She said she has hopes of it becoming an annual mainstay and is optimistic that Sacramento will embrace it.

"We're hoping for an 'If you build it, they will come' experience," said Steve Minow, a Midtown Bazaar vendor for The Sacramento Sweets Company.

He said there aren't a lot of things for young people to do in Midtown, and he hopes that the roller rink will solve some of that.

"It would be neat if kids discovered a new thing that was fun for them instead of hanging out at the mall or playing on Facebook," he said.

The Sacramento Sweets Company, Executive Choice Coffee, Paesanos and Yogurtagogo are some of the local food vendors serving refreshments at Winter Rollerland.

Music will be played every night by a live DJ, and live music will be provided on Second Saturday.

If you purchase an item from a Bazaar vendor on Saturday mornings, you'll get a free skate pass. If not, $5 is enough to get you on the rink, with an extra $3 if you need to rent skates. If you have your own you are welcome to bring them. Inline and roller skates are both acceptable to use.

Women Escaping a Violent Environment will receive 10 percent of all proceeds.

The rink is in the Priority Parking garage at 1616 I St. with access in the front and back. Parking will be free after 4:30 p.m. on the street on Fridays, and all day Saturday and Sunday, due to the c ity's free parking policy during the holiday season. Security will be present every night.

The rink will be open starting Dec. 3 through New Year's weekend as follows:

Friday: 5 p.m.- 10 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Big Idea does "Much Ado About Nothing"

2010-11-08T06:24:47Z

Kirk Blackinton and Liz Tachella Bowman gave hilariously snide performances Friday night in Big Idea Theatre's rendition of William Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing."

The story revolves around two pairs of lovers whose paths toward and away from love run into unforeseen circumstances. The puppy love of Claudio and Hero hits a tragic roadblock, while the love-hate relationship of Benedick (Blackinton) and Beatrice (Bowman), by the design of their conniving friends, becomes more loving and less hateful.

Directed by BIT company member Katie Chapman, the production has been a project of hers for the past decade. Set in the years between the World Wars, giant propaganda posters sit in the stage background while the cast members perform in cocktail dresses and military fatigues. The script is unedited, save for the removal of lines and one reference to a mustache instead of a beard.

The standout performance of the night was given by Blackinton. The audience edged toward the front of their seats every time he appeared on stage, anticipating whatever scathing reproach — or approval — of marital love his character might conjure. His line delivery was clear, deliberate and varying in tempo. Equal to Benedick's wit is his tongue, and Blackinton released onslaughts of dialogue, stringing sentence after sentence feverishly together, only to pause at the climax of his lines and finish with comic emotion. If the audience was any indication, he stole the show.

In opposition to Benedick — at least in the beginning — is Beatrice, and Bowman matches Blackinton's line-delivery with reciprocating snark. Laying down thick sarcasm is a specialty for the two characters, and where civility is lost, laughter is won.

A late-blooming gift to the audience came at the halfway point in the character of Dogberry (Jes Gonzalez). Playing the haphazard Constable bestowing night-watch responsibilities to whichever miscreants he finds in the street, he flamboyantly acts the part of a clueless lawman, reliably providing hilarity to the very last scene.

The play is not short on comedy, but its humor is balanced against the villainy of Don John (Gian Montesini) and the resulting turmoil between Hero (Heather Judkins), Claudio (Brian Harrower) and Leonato (Gregory Smith). Fallout between independently affable characters is more or less predictable in fiction, and it is little surprise that Don John's evil scheme to keep Hero and Claudio apart would have some ill-effect on their intention to happily wed. Nevertheless, watching Judkins sob in the middle of the stage as both Harrower and Smith deride her for actions of which she is innocent was heart-wrenchingly authentic.

For a full plot synopsis, click here.

Unless fluent in Shakespearean syntax, the dialogue is often difficult to follow, in the beginning. Letting go of occasional jargon lapses is essential for those unfamiliar with his style to enjoy the production. As the play progresses, and as the ear develops to the English of past centuries, plot and character developments seen and heard are easier to comprehend.

Choosing to set the play in the early 20th century is somewhat enigmatic. While the costumes are appropriate and the war posters are present, there isn’t any other indication as to why this story meshed with that part of America's history.

"Much Ado" nevertheless provides two full hours of knee-slapping humor, with only a short-lived side of heartache. It's focus on the merry makes for a lighthearted night at the theater, and given the intimate nature of the Del Paso Boulevard location, the audience can expect no less than full immersion.

This will be the final show of BIT's 2010 season. It runs through Dec. 4. Show times and ticket prices can be seen here.

Photos courtesy of Big Idea Theatre

Midtown residents, business owners offer solutions for Second Saturday

2010-09-27T05:37:28Z

Midtown residents and business owners gathered at the Ethel MacLeod Hart Senior Center Saturday morning to meet with city officials and representatives from the police department to discuss what can be done about the rise in violence and rowdiness following Second Saturday.

For the first 30 minutes, more than 100 community members wrote on comment cards expressing concerns and proposing solutions. These were collected and sifted through for a seven-member "Safety Team" panel to address.

Though Councilman Steve Cohn was adamant that the shooting death of Victor Hugo Perez Zavala was not inherently a Second Saturday problem, it was the obvious impetus for the gathering. In his introductory remarks, Cohn spoke about the tragedy, and Captain Dana Matthes from the Sacramento Police Department gave an update on their search for the shooter.

The panel consisted of Matthes and Lt. Mike Bray from the police department, Rob Kerth from the Midtown Business Association, Vincene Jones from Neighborhood Services, Dean Fujimoto from the city's parking department, and Lori Ajax from Alcoholic Beverage Control.

Matthes addressed concerns about the curfew for teenagers. She said that last month they put the word out to local high schools that the department would be strictly enforcing the 10 p.m. curfew for people under age 18. She said they witnessed an improvement in this area over August's Second Saturday and they plan on continuing these efforts to see if more progress can be made for October and the long term.

Parking was a recurring issue. Fujimoto stressed that neighborhood action committees are welcomed to organize and submit different rules to his office for non-resident parking. Possible ordinance changes would prevent club-goers from parking in residential areas, which would help with loudness and violence complaints in the early hours of the morning. He stressed that parking rules in the city were not set in stone.

One recommendation from a Midtown resident was to limit non-resident parking to one hour, forcing late-night club-goers out of the neighborhoods and into parking structures and more public areas.

When a comment was read that asked for better management of the event, Kerth was wary. He conceded that better signage could help the participants but worried that if Second Saturday is over-managed, it will lose its "organic" nature. He said Second Saturday is an important day for our locally owned businesses, and he wants to avoid micro-managing.

He assured the public that the MBA is always trying to make Midtown a more fun and safer place for people to visit. He announced that his organization is partnering with the Lavender Angels to provide nightlife guides from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m every Friday and Saturday night between I and N streets and 17th and 24th streets.

Aja Uranga-Foster is in charge of the new partnership and said it should help with some of the issues raised in the community forum.

"The main thing is to help people get back to their car, or taxis, or their homes (quietly)," she said.

The program has a small core of paid staff but will rely heavily on volunteers. It will be piloted for three to four months and reassessed in February 2011. She didn't have a specific start date but said they will definitely be out in time for October's Second Saturday.

Although the Safety Team did their best to reassure the public they would do everything in their power to help Second Saturday, and Midtown in general, grow safely, some community members remained skeptical.

Susan Rabinovitz, jewelry designer and executive director of the Sacramento Artists Council, was mainly concerned about what she sees as a growing chaos. She said a possibility would be to put vendors in Fremont Park and live music at Caesar Chavez Park, there wouldn’t be so much crowd problems in one area.

"Segment it so that maybe there's not all this congestion," she said.

Reymond Walker writes the Second Saturday Blog with his daughter, Naomi Bingham-Walker, and he said he'll feel better when he sees real improvement coming from city management. He said the community forum was a great starting point, but he is worried there won't be more of them to keep the community involved.

"If it does happen again, in a sense that would be great," he said. "If it doesn't happen again I hope it's because we are seeing, and they've figured out, an outcome in the streets that reflects success."

Rabonovitz and Walker cited the Amgen Tour of California as a successful event that Second Saturday could organizationally aspire to.

"The community is so clearly aware of what to expect, what's going on," Walker said. "There are areas that are taped off, there's a lot of publicity. I know where to go, I know what's happening."

The meeting ended with encouraging words from Jones from Neighborhood Services and Councilman Cohn.

"I haven't seen one suggestion that said, 'No more Second Saturday,' and that's a good thing," Jones said.

"Midtown is the soul of Sacramento," Cohn said. "We got to keep it positive here … but that does mean growing pains, so we got to figure out how to do it right."

After the meeting, Cohn said community members can keep sending their concerns and proposals to the members of the Safety Panel. He said the members' individual e-mail addresses were the best point of contact.

Beer, music and a good cause

2010-09-13T04:49:37Z

Thousands converged on Discovery Park Saturday afternoon for the 16th annual California Brewers Festival to taste the ales, lagers, porters and craft brews from over 60 brewers.

The festival was organized by Sacramento's Rotary Club of Point West to benefit the Assistance League of Sacramento. All festival proceeds will be donated to the league’s Operation School Bell — a program providing underprivileged youth with adequate clothing for school.

Velvet Tongue and Utz! and the Shuttlecocks provided live music as festival-goers sampled beer with 4-ounce glasses and sought refuge in the shade from the summer sun.

The participating brewers were mostly local, though there were some from as far as Vermont, Maine and Hawaii. There were foreign brews being poured by their domestic importers as well.

Brew It Up! owner Mike Costello has been bringing his brews to the festival for the past 13 years. He was there with his staff pouring their new honey porter. He said the porter appeals to drinkers who prefer a rich and smooth taste, as well as those who seek the unique dimensions of a microbrew.

"It spent about six months in the (whiskey) barrel, so it picks up on some of the aroma and the flavor nodes of the whiskey, the barrel and the honey that we're using," he said.

Costello was excited about attendees’ reactions to the porter and was pleased with this year's festival.

"This beerfest and the West Coast Brew Fest, which is in May, are the two best brewfests in the Sacramento region hands down,” he said.

Long-time Rubicon Brewing Company employee Mike Walthers was pouring their flagship IPA, Extra Special Bitter and Rosebud brews. He said that Rubicon likes attending the festival to support a good cause.

"There are some people who have never heard of us and don't know where we're located, and we'll see some people out here that have been coming to the restaurant for 20 years," he said.

Ross Keyashin, 29, attended the festival last year. It was one of the first social outings he made when he moved to Midtown, and it left a very good impression on him, he said.

"It's phenomenal," he said. "Everyone who works here is really kind, the beer is great, and it's just got a great mood."

Gabriel Niles, 33, enjoyed an amber ale from Hoppy Brewing Company.

"I went straight here to try and represent the locals," he said.

Niles’ younger sister is one of the lead vocalists in Utz! and the Shuttlecocks. He was there with his wife and 1-year-old son to support the band, drink good beer and contribute to the recipient charity.

"There's a good energy here, a good vibe," he said.

Rotary Club member Dan Hall was running the front gate. He estimated that between 4,000 and 5,000 showed up for the festival. Though he played a smaller role in this year's event, he has been the chairman in the past.

He said they consistently raise between $40,000 to $50,000 every year. Having locals pay for access to great beer and having the brewers donate their product and time is what makes the festival such a success, he said.

"This is one of the fundraisers where we'll really calling on the community as a whole," he said.

Brewers festival this Saturday at Discovery Park

2010-09-07T05:21:34Z

Brewers from Maine, Vermont, Ireland and, of course, California will fill Discovery Park Saturday for the 16th annual California Brewers Festival.

Around 60 brewpub, distributors and home brewers will be pouring ales, lagers and craft beers for what festival organizers anticipate will be more than 3,000 attendees.

Although the festival attracts brewers from across the nation and overseas, the Sacramento region is heavily represented. Rubicon Brewing Company, Hoppy Brewing Company and Brew It Up! are a few locals participating.

You can view the full list of brewers here.

The festival is organized by Sacramento's Rotary Club of Point West to benefit the Assistance League of Sacramento. All festival proceeds will be donated to the league’s Operation School Bell — a program providing underprivileged youth with adequate clothing for school.

"It's a good cause," Rotary Club board member Toney Sebra said. "We put in a lot of time and hard work, but we always have a lot of fun doing it."

Club member Don Levin has been working with the festival’s brewers since 2002. He said in the recent past the club and the brewers have seen themselves as partners for a good cause.

"For a number of years it was always a challenge for us to get the brewers," Levin said. "They've gone from 'Do we want to do this?' to 'What time and when?'"

"We're all getting a sense of helping the community, and (the brewers) like that," Levin said.

This year the organizers decided to eliminate the judging competition, saving $2,500 that can now go directly to the recipient charity. This has resonated positively with brewers.

"I believe in what the Rotary Club does," Rubicon owner Glynn Phillips said. "One hundred percent of the money that goes into that event goes back to the community, so it's easy for me to do."

This is Rubicon's fifth year at the festival, Phillips said. They will most likely be pouring their award-winning India Pale Ale and cult favorite Monkey Knife Fight. There may be some others, but Phillips said they never can tell until the day of the event.

The Gold County Brewers association will also attend to pour various home-brews.

The festival is a family-friendly event. There will be live music from Velvet Tongue and Utz! and the Shuttlecocks, and food will be available for purchase. Tickets for designated drivers and youth between ages 12 and 20 cost $5. Children under 12 enter for free.

Sebra said there will be taxis available for those who need them.

Those who want to avoid getting a driver or taxi can go to the festival on their bikes. Discovery Park sits on the American River Bike Trail and there will be free valet parking for all cyclists.

The festival will run from 1 to 5 p.m. Tickets are available online, through Rotary Club members, and at various retail locations in the Sacramento area. Full ticket information can be viewed here.

Tickets come with 10 tokens, each good for four ounce samples. Beyond that, festival goers can purchase directly from the brewers.

Parking costs will be the normal Sacramento County Parks day rate.

All images courtesy of Rotary Club of Point West.

DIY butchering with Taylor's Danny Johnson

2010-08-30T05:56:43Z

Slicing off the side of a 28-pound halibut is just another day at the office for Danny Johnson, co-owner and butcher at Taylor's Market in Land Park. It’s a skill he was happy to share with a dozen Sacramentans on Saturday for one of several Butchering 101 workshops his store has held since January.

The class members bombarded Johnson with their seafood, poultry and butchering questions. He didn't let them down.

"Everything I tell you, it's how it works (at Taylor's)," Johnson told the class.

They started with poultry.

Johnson explained where dark spots on chickens and turkeys come from, the current controversies with organic labeling, and good handling and knifing technique.

He showed turkey from Woodland, duck from Stockton and chicken from Cache Creek. Taylor's sources their products locally, whenever possible.

"You want to know where this stuff comes from," he said. "Some of the stuff from China and large warehouses — buyer beware."

Johnson then demonstrated the many different steps and methods to butchering a whole chicken: boning thighs, halving, removing the keel bone, etc.

He mostly used just two knives: a 10-inch scimitar and a 6-inch boning knife. He uses the same knives at Taylor's and at home. He said that's all anyone really needs to butcher well.

As he chatted with the class, he would flash his blade across his steel to realign the edge of his knife. He admits he does this more often than is necessary.

"It's a nervous habit," he said.

This was the smallest class he's had since they started, but Johnson liked that. Being able to interact with the guests on a more personal level made things more fun and engaging for everyone, he said. Seafood is something that Johnson is particularly fascinated with, so the opportunity to explore the subject in more detail was welcomed.

Johnson prefaced his seafood demonstrations with a talk about sustainability. He does a lot of his own research on making sure the market’s seafood purchases aren't adversely affecting fish populations somewhere else in the world. It's not scientific, he said, but he talks with all of his suppliers and researches the vulnerability of the species they want sell. If the fish they want is suspect, or if the suppliers can't account for where everything came from, they don't buy it.

Throughout the discussion he shucked oysters from the East and West coasts and passed them out to whoever wanted a taste.

One class member wondered how clean it is to prepare different foods on the same surface.

"Ninety-seven percent of food-borne illnesses are because of bad hygiene, not the food," Johnson said.

The finale of the class was Johnson butchering a California king slmon and the halibut, both weighing over 20 lbs. each.

He showed the class how to collar, fillet, cut steaks and salvage the residual meat surrounding the spine for salmon sausage.

You can view a video of Johnson butchering the halibut here.

Nathan Grisham is new to the Sacramento area and loves to cook in his own home. He's interested in anything that has to do with food.

"It’s interesting to be in the presence of anyone with real-world experience, and to be able to glean from them any knowledge you can," he said.

He said Johnson showed some techniques he had never seen and was excited to bring the methods home.

"I've never purchased a whole salmon, so that's probably what I'll try doing, especially for a party or something," he said. "Or even just to buy one and cook it for a week’s worth of dinners."

Kris Backus is a regular Taylor's customer, but this was the first class she attended. She was impressed with the chicken demonstration.

"I'd never seen a chicken with the bones mostly cut out and then put into a cone shape that you could actually do something with, like stuff it," she said.

The market has received national press for their classes earlier this year. Johnson isn't sure why the classes he and his wife offer are so popular. But he's grateful they are.

"People are getting back to their roots," he said. "There's a certain amount of the population that's never going to change, but there's a certain amount that are opening their eyes and are saying, 'Hey, we need to know where this stuff comes from.'"

Working at the market and teaching the classes are one in the same for Johnson. He said customers can come to Taylor's Market and ask about technique and meal planning, and Johnson and his employees will do their best to help. Acknowledging that not as many people are cooking in the home, Johnson sees his market as providing a needed service.

"This is how it used to be," he said. "Every neighborhood used to have a store like this. Now Sacramento only has two: us and Corti Brothers."

He is hoping the popularity is indicative of a return to local sourcing for food, and thriving neighborhood grocery markets with professional butchers, bakers and the like.

If you missed this class and would like to attend one in the future, you can view the schedule here.

Cupcake and the City bakery now online

2010-08-26T06:31:26Z

Obsessed with cupcakes?

Not as much as Dina Neils.

With one oven and a hobby-turned-business, Neils is serving up cupcakes through her newly launched site, Cupcake and the City.

Two months ago the 26-year-old debuted her morsels at Mixture – a pool party hosted by MXD Entertainment Group every year at the Red Lion Hotel. She brought five dozen cupcakes to the party, and they were gone in one hour.

She started baking with her father when she was very young. His specialty was cakes, but Neils was interested in baking may different desserts. Her focus on cupcakes started after she graduated from California State University, Sacramento with degrees in public relations and journalism in 2007.

"Pretty much every weekend I was making cupcakes for the fun of it," she said. "I don't know where the obsession comes from, I just love cupcakes."

She was constantly receiving praise from friends and family about her baking abilities. They would ask her if she ever thought about doing it as a business.

One night Neils said she was talking about cupcakes (big surprise) with her boyfriend, and he pushed her over the edge.

"Why don't you just go for this?" he asked her. "If anyone can make this happen, it's you."

She said that hearing someone close to her tell her she could succeed was a tipping point.

Business has been good since it opened, according to Neils. She has been baking for gatherings and events on top of her full time job as a public relations coordinator in Folsom. In addition to the pool party, she has baked for baby showers, birthday parties and other social gatherings. She mostly delivers the cupcakes herself, but she does arrange pickups. She said that she will do whatever is most convenient for the customer.

Her lower-than-normal, $26-per-dozen price tag sets her apart from the competition, she said. She said that adding a “personal touch” is something she strives for with every customer, giving them more attention than they would receive from a franchise baker.

First-time buyers should try three of her specialties - Bubbly (champagne with champagne/vanilla frosting), Oreo Obsessed (chocolate with vanilla/Oreo frosting), and California Dreamin’ (orange with orange/vanilla frosting), which are a nice representation of her skill and variety, she said.

A storefront in the Midtown or downtown areas of Sacramento is in Neils’ plans for the future. She said Somewhere on J, K or L streets would be ideal.

"I know where I want to go, and I know where I am right now," she said. "But I don't know how long that will take."

Neils bakes all of her cupcakes from scratch.

“Cupcakes are my only products, so cutting corners with a box just isn't what Cupcake and The City is about,” she said.

Neils personal favorite is My Valentine – red velvet cake with chocolate chips baked in, strawberry cream cheese frosting topped with a strawberry slice. But she claims she “loves all cupcakes equally.”

Her ideas for different flavors come from many different places. Whether it’s a baking TV show or a magazine, she’s always looking for inspiration.

“When I was at the (California) State Fair and taking in all of my surroundings, I saw lots of cotton candy and I could just taste how delicious it was, and then I thought, "Wow, I should make a cupcake like this!" she said. “That was the creation of my State Fair cupcake.”

She's working on perfecting a New York Cheesecake cupcake that will be dedicated to her father. Both of her parents are from New York City, and her father loved to bake cheesecake when she was young.

She doesn't have a specific date for its release, but she said we can expect it before the end of September.

She said she is hoping that Santa will bring her another oven for Christmas.

You can contact Neils through her website for more information if you are interested in learning more about her business.

Big Brothers Big Sisters raising awareness at Great Chefs 2010

2010-08-23T06:04:31Z

Hundreds of people converged in the Holiday Inn's convention center at 300 J St. Saturday night for Great Chefs 2010. Restaurants, wineries and breweries came together with area residents to eat, drink and donate to Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Sacramento Area.

BBBS is a non-profit organization dedicated to matching adults -- “Bigs” -- with young people -- “Littles” -- ages six to 18 to build lasting relationships and help youth achieve their personal and professional goals. They have chapters in communities all over the country.

There was a silent auction where attendees bid on a two-night stay at the Sheraton Grand Sacramento with $50 to Bandera Restaurant and $100 to Yellow Cab, an hors d'oeuvres party for 10 at Enotria Restaurant and many other prizes.

There were $20 balloons people could purchase, which included a prize inside of at least a $25 value. One woman popped her balloon and found a voucher for a one-hour massage — a $60 value.

Rhonda Staley-Brooks, CEO of BBBS in this region, was pleased with the event. Raising awareness was a chief objective for the night, and she said that her organization is in need of more males to volunteer as a Big Brother. They have 75 young males who need volunteers, and a part of the event was to spread awareness of that need.

"Attendance is a little light this year, but the people are having a fabulous time," she said. "The vendors are fabulous and a lot of these people I see year after year."

Terri Wilson is a current board member for BBBS. She was attending and was pleased with the turnout.

"It's one of our events where we just want people to get to know who we are and have a good time," she said. "It’s not a huge charity event where we're looking to raise a lot of money but more importantly raise awareness."

Jimmy Valoria works for BBBS, and one of his duties is to get more male volunteers.

"Some of our boys, unfortunately, will have to wait up to a year for a volunteer (to become available)," he said. "We just need as many men that are willing."

L. Be Soul catering company from Rocklin served a chicken gumbo and pulled pork over rice. Chef Derice Taylor was there with his father serving their dishes.

"(Staley-Brooks) was the one who hooked me up with my Big Brother,” he said. “So now we just do all the catering for events like this one for free."

Hoppy Brewing Company brought four of their own beers: Liquid Sunshine blonde ale, Hoppy Face amber ale, Stoney Face red ale and Total Eclipse black ale. Marketing director Scott Patterson has a history of working with BBBS.

"I believe people came for the food, but they don't mind the wine and beer to go along with it," he joked. "On top of that, you can tell it's a charitable group."

River City Brewing Company served potato boats stuffed with a spinach and artichoke cream cheese with their Kolsch and Vienna beers. Catering manager Devan Adair has volunteered as a Big Sister before and was happy to participate.

"It's a great way to meet potential guests, it's a great way to network, it's a great way to just get involved in the community," she said.

There were also many wineries pouring. Guests could sample the Barbera from Perry Creek or a zinfandel and chardonnay from Ravenswood Winery.

Paul Giro is a 30-year-old student and bartender who lives downtown. He came with a friend who saw a flier for the event in her gym.

"I really like it," he said. "To just get a little taste of everything is very cool, instead of sticking with the same beers that I would have been buying."

His date for the night, Nicole Duggan, was enjoying herself but was hoping for more wine and food pairing.

"It's still nice," she said. "When I found out (the event) was for charity I was more excited."

Grange hosts "Placer County Real Food" authors

2010-08-20T06:43:38Z

Ever wonder if its possible to shop exclusively at farmers’ markets and eat nutritiously? Deliciously?

The answer is yes, and Joanne Neft and Laura Kenny are making it easy for you.

The duo spent every Monday night in 2009 hosting dinner parties where they treated guests to dishes prepared with local, seasonal ingredients purchased at farmers’ markets in Placer County. They recorded the menus they created and compiled them into a book with 360 recipes.

"Placer County Real Food: Recipes and Menus for Every Week of the Year” is the finished product and Neft and Kenny were at Grange Restaurant and Bar Wednesday night signing copies, meeting readers and foodies, and eating.

The $45, four-course meal was planned by Neft and Kenny with Grange chef Michael Tuohy. It was almost identical to the “Pork & Peas” menu on page 187 of the book, with a variation on the dessert.

The first course was a edamame with sea salt, followed by a mixed greens salad with figs, walnuts and thyme honey vinaigrette. The main course was a slow-roasted pork roast with peppers served atop pink-eyed peas with Italian sausage and tomatoes. Dessert was a very rich roasted figs, peaches and raspberries medley with creme fraiche.

"It showcases all the best products from their region – Placer County – which coincidentally supplies a lot of this region with wonderful stone fruit, citrus and all kinds of different (foods)," Tuohy said.

Tuohy said that the meal preparations were very simple.

"That's the beauty of having great local ingredients, because a lot of times they just speak for themselves," he said. "We just try not to screw them up."

Tuohy reached out to Neft after being featured with her in an article in The Sacramento Bee about farmers' markets. He said he was impressed with the work she was doing, so he thought it made sense to get in touch.

Neft has been involved in Placer County's local food scene for 20 years. She opened the first Foothill Farmers' Market and helped start the Mountain Mandarin Festival in 1994 – attended by 40,000 people in 2008.

"I'd never written a book before, but it seemed like an appropriate thing to do," Neft said. "The timing was right, and there was a need, and we did it for the right reasons.”

"We wanted to help people understand that every day of the year they can eat healthy food, healthy vegetables (and) healthy meats from this area," she said.

"I've been doing this now for 21 years, and I have to say that for 18 years it felt like a rock that I was pushing uphill," Neft said. "But now the stars are aligned, things are coming together, people are understanding."

Shopping at the farmers' market can be more expensive than your mainstream grcery store. Some people may think that what Neft and Kenny did is out of reach.

"There is no such thing as cheap food," Neft said. "Eventually you pay the price. If you eat inappropriate food, you may not pay for it today, or next week, or even next year. But eventually your body will pay the price."

Tuohy also has desires to help people see the value in seasonal eating.

"Supermarkets are frustrating because they teach people all the wrong habits," he said. "They teach you that there's apples at any time of the year, they teach you that there's asparagus any time of the year. They are from somewhere, but the costs associated with that are so great. We've forgotten that these things are only meant to be enjoyed at the peak of their season."

Kenny was the chef for the book, and she said the dishes prepared Wednesday night by Tuohy's kitchen staff were a "phenomenal" representation of her work.

“He gets the message," she said. "He's an excellent chef, (and) he's farm-to-table, local and seasonal."

Lisa Cirill, 45, purchased a copy of the book and sat down to eat.

"Although it was gourmet and it was lovely, it was like a good home-cooked meal," she said.

Coral Henning, 50, discovered some new uses for a less-common, but available, food.

"I've eaten more figs tonight than I've ever eaten in my entire life, and they're delicious!" she said. "I'm now a fig convert."

Her dinner partner, Kathryn Turner, was motivated by the simplicity of the recipes.

"I'm inspired to do these recipes with the Sacramento farmers' markets and cook my own meals," she said.

Kenny said this kind of meal planning is not exclusive to Placer County.

"It's an idea that can easily be adapted to any county," she said. "Sacramento County is so blessed with agriculture."

Kenny and Neft worked together at the Persimmon Cafe in Lincoln until it closed in 2008.

Kenny said a friend of Neft's recommended the idea of doing a cookbook of recipes made from local, seasonal ingredients in December, 2008. On Saturday morning, Jan. 3, they met at a farmers' market to buy ingredients for their first dinner party.

The dinner parties started with four guests. By February they decided to up that number to eight. Word of the dinners spread by mouth and e-mail, and they had the entire year booked by March.

"My own grandmother didn't get in until the second week of December," Kenny said.

There was no charge to attend the dinners, but Neft and Kenny did ask for $20 donations to help finance the project. They were social affairs, with Neft and Kenny soliciting the opinions and recommendations of their guests afterward.

Kenny said that because they were focusing on what was in season and local, they kept their recipes from eight to 10 ingredients, with a few exceptions.

Kenny said the response from the public has been positive.

"(It was) mid-August (2009), and we didn't know if anyone wanted the book," she said.

But at $28, the book has sold 9,000 copies and is in its second printing. You can purchase the book online and at a number of retail locations.

You can view some recipes and photos from the book here.

W. Kamau Bell coming to Comedy Spot

2010-08-18T05:38:29Z

The Sacramento Comedy Spot will host W. Kamau Bell Friday night and his critically acclaimed show -- "The W. Kamau Bell Curve: Ending Racism in About an Hour.”

Bell, 37, has been doing the “Bell Curve” show for the last three years. The jokes are tweaked slightly to accommodate current events, but the core has remained intact. Attendees of the show may be treated to laughs about the recent Shirley Sherrod debacle and the Tea Party.

Bell has performed at the Punchline in Sacramento, but that was many years ago. He said he's excited to be back in the area.

"I think I have about four or five fans in Sacramento," Bell joked.

Bell’s career as a comedian has been on a steady rise ever since he made a joke about President Barack Obama in 2005. Ironically, his punchline was that Obama would never become the President. Whoops.

His lapse in foresight, nevertheless, earned him Comedy Central's praise in being the first comic to make a joke about Obama.

Bell has experiences with comedy through radio and television, which you can read about here. Most recently he recorded an album – "Face Full of Flour." He is currently working with the talent and literary agency William Morris Endeavor Entertainment to produce more albums and possibly a TV show.

Bell went to college without a specific career goal in mind. What he did know is that he liked martial arts, so he chose East Asian studies as his major before dropping out to pursue a career as a comedian.

"I remember seeing Eddie Murphy stand-up comedy when I was a kid, and Bill Cosby, and Jerry Seinfeld," Bell said. "I knew I wanted to be a comic, but I didn't know how to get started."

Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock and Paul Mooney are other comics who have influenced his work.

"The comic that changed my life was Bill Hicks," Bell said.

Bell has lived in San Francisco for the past 13 years, and he said the Bay Area has been especially nice to him as a comedian.

Bell said he is an agenda comic focusing on current events. His shows on Friday night will, of course, be funny, but revolve around race issues in contemporary America.

"I tell jokes, but I'm not kidding," Bell said.

Bell said that while other comics have inspired him, he really feels that his message is one of a kind.

"No one's doing what I'm doing right now," he said.

Fellow comedian Margaret Cho has a lot of praise for Bell's work.

"W. Kamau Bell is the most important guy doing comedy right now," she is quoted as saying on Bell’s webite. "Do yourself a favor and go see him. He’s got the most astute, hilarious and completely righteous material going, and he’s going to be a legend in his own lifetime like Richard Pryor and Lenny Bruce. Think Bill Hicks but slightly taller.”

Bell is African-American, and his show is about racism, but he doesn't want any other race of people to feel threatened to come to his show.

"It's not an attack on white people specifically,” he said. “The show's about racism. Everybody walks out talking about it in a new way."

Bell acknowledges the sensitivity of the topic, which is why he chose it for his subject matter, but if he can't get people feeling more comfortable with engaging the issue, then he has failed in what he set out to do.

"If nobody is getting offended, then the show is probably full of shit," he said.

Five years after the original Obama joke, Bell can laugh about his gaffe and is glad he was proven wrong. He said he likes Obama, but that doesn't mean the President escapes his comedic wrath.

Exactly how hilariously scathing that wrath is you'll have to experience for yourself Friday night.

Showtimes are 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., and tickets are $20 – or $10 if you bring a friend of a different race.

Photos courtesy of W. Kamau Bell.

"Placer County Real Food" dinner and book signing

2010-08-17T05:42:20Z

Hungry?

How about a slow-roasted pork roast with peppers, pink-eyed peas with Italian sausage and tomatoes, and then some roasted figs, peaches and raspberries with creme fraiche for dessert? Still not hungry?

Grange Restaurant & Bar will host a dinner/book signing Aug. 18 with Joanne Neft and chef Laura Kenny, authors of "Placer County Real Food: Recipes and Menus for Every Week of the Year," where they will serve the above dishes and others, all prepared with ingredients from Placer County’s farmers’ markets.

Neft and Kenny spent 2009 hosting dinner parties every Monday evening where they treated guests to dishes prepared with local, seasonal ingredients.

Neft has been involved in Placer County's local food scene for 20 years. She opened the first Foothill Farmers' Market, and helped start the Mountain Mandarin Festival in 1994 – attended by 40,000 people in 2008. This cookbook was a natural next step for her, according to her and Kenny’s website.

Kenny was trained at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. She worked there and in San Diego in restaurants, as a caterer and as a personal chef. She moved back to Placer County in 2006 where she worked at Lincoln Produce Market for a year and a half before becoming chef of Persimmon Cafe, where she and Neft worked together.

The economic troubles of 2008 forced the cafe to close, and late that year Neft and Kenny were wondering what their next move would be.

The dinner parties started with four guests. By February they decided to up that number to eight. Word of the dinners spread by mouth and e-mail, and they had the entire year booked by March.

"My own grandmother didn't get in until the second week of December," Kenny said

Kenny said that because they were focusing on what was in season and local, they kept their recipes from eight to 10 ingredients, with a few exceptions.

"We wanted to make it so that the readers can cook at home and have everything ready in the pantry," she said

Two of Kenny's favorite recipes from the book are a lamb neck sliced stew – something she calls "The Best Stew Ever" – and a vanilla bean ice cream. She said that because of the variety of food available in the region, they were able to write enough recipes to last one year.

Although the book focuses on Placer County, she said Sacramento and other areas would have no problems replicating the process.

"It's an idea that can easily be adapted to any county," she said. "Sacramento County is so blessed with agriculture."

Kenny said the response from the public has been positive.

"(It was) mid-August (2009), and we didn't know if anyone wanted the book," she said.

But at $28, the book has sold 9,000 copies and is in its second printing. You can purchase the book online and at a number of retail locations. It will also be available at Grange Wednesday night.

For the book signing, Neft and Kenny will be preparing the food with Grange chef Michael Tuohy. Kenny has never worked with Tuohy before, but she said she is excited for the opportunity.

You can view some recipes and photos from the book here.

The dinner/book signing will start at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $45. For reservations, call 916-492-4450.

Photos courtesy of Placer County Real Food.

Ginger Elizabeth's french desserts

2010-08-16T05:22:24Z

Ginger Elizabeth Hahn, owner of Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates, taught two sold-out classes Saturday to more than 70 students on how to prepare "French Desserts from the Orchard."

The classes were held in the L Street Lofts penthouse across the street from Hahn's store. The students learned how to make four different desserts, all focused on fruits available to the Sacramento region. Hahn said this time of year is always good for fruit desserts, and this year especially.

"This is the best plum season we've had in four or five years," she said.

The first dessert was a cherry clafoutis, a cherry and flan-like batter dessert. Infusing vanilla bean into the cream, pitting cherries, and achieving the right consistency for the dough were just some of the techniques Hahn passed on to her pupils.

"This one's a very easy recipe," Hahn said. "It's very hard to mess this one up. I liked doing dough and fruit, it's so simple and it's really easy for people to understand and relate with."

Simplicity was a theme for the classes. Hahn wanted to help the students realize that they are capable of making really good desserts without spending hours in the kitchen. "Accentuating" fruit is at the core of all four recipes, she said.

The second dessert was a plum galette. Think of a pie, minus the tin, shaped into a sack. Hahn piled a mixture of plums and sugar onto the center of a circle of dough, and pulled the sides up and over the plums, leaving a slight opening at the top.

"This is the most simple, beautiful thing you'll ever eat," Hahn said.

Hahn then moved onto a peach tart tatin, the most complicated recipe of the class. She encouraged the students to allow the dessert to bake fully, saying that a lot of American desserts look "blond" when served.

"A lot of us might look at a (French dessert) and think it's burnt," she said. "It's not. It’s perfect."

The classes were very interactive. Students asked questions about the right equipment to use and if there were acceptable substitutes for some of the ingredients. They took notes in a folder with all of the recipe sheets.

Hahn reminded the students that she was professionally trained and encouraged them to ask even the simplest questions to make sure she was going over the basics.

The last dessert she demonstrated was an apricot jam. Hahn and her assistant sterilized jars dung the class and showed how you can jar a jam without sealing equipment. The change in pressure from the boiling jam will self-seal the jar if done properly.

Samples of all of the desserts were passed out to the attendees.

Kristel Herrera, 37, is a regular Ginger Elizabeth customer and was impressed with the class.

"It was a lot of fun and informative," she said. "They were fancy kind of desserts that you can go home and make quite easily."

Her favorite recipe was the peach tart.

"I liked it because it has the cream cheese (and) pastry dough," she said. "It's rustic but fancy at the same time. I'm definitely going to try and make that."

Craig Amazeen, 41, is also a regular customer of Hahn's and attended his first Ginger Elizabeth class on Saturday.

"It's a whole different level," he said. "Food with Ginger is not something you eat — it's something you experience."

He was most impressed with the jam.

"If you were ever to offer me something apricot I would just say, 'no,'" he said. "To have that apricot jam and be wowed like that was awesome. You find out that it's a lot more fun to make the food than to go to the grocery store and buy it."

Hahn has held several classes like this and said the response from the community has been great. She said they have had to turn 70 people away from a class because of its popularity. They won't be holding larger classes.

"This is the only size I would feel comfortable doing," she said. "It's very impersonal if it gets larger."

She said that sharing her passions with people in the region has been rewarding.

"There are people that don't cook at all and they want to learn how to do these things," she said. "Some people feel lost in the kitchen. If you don't grow up in a household where they cooked a lot, you're probably not going to pick up on a lot of these skills."

Hahn will be holding more classes in October and November, which you can read about here.

Howe Park renovation unveiling

2010-08-11T02:07:35Z

For the past eight weeks, 33 at-risk high school students have been renovating Howe Park. They have designed and built a small dog park, refurbished park benches and walking bridges, and remodeled landscaping – and they will be showing off their handiwork Thursday from 11 a.m.-noon.

Funds to do the work were scarce, but a trio of government agencies collaborated to make it possible.

The Fulton-El Camino Park District's general manager, Roy Imai, said that when the Sacramento County Office of Education contacted him about a partnership, his staff brainstormed several project possibilities.

Imai said his office had six ideas, but were unsure of where the money would come from. The final piece in making the plans a reality came in federal stimulus dollars acquired by the Sacramento Employment Training Agency. SCOE provided the manpower and supervision.

"We were all able to come together and make it happen," Imai said. "This kind of partnership is something that should happen all over the community."

He said that his office is writing a report on the experience and will be sending it to state and federal agencies to spread the word about their success.

While the improvements to the park were needed and are deeply appreciated, the growth of the young men and women of the project is what made it invaluable, he said.

"I think the maturing process…has enlightened them in their responsibilities and goals," he said.

Imai went on to say that the project has benefited the students greatly in giving them valuable skills as workers, and has also benefited the community in terms of public service.

Deputy superintendent for the SCOE, Martin Cavanaugh, said that helping these students learn how to hold a job has been especially rewarding.

"This is often the first paycheck they've ever gotten," he said. "A lot of the same skills you want in a good worker are the same ones that help you succeed in school."

Cavanaugh said SCOE intends on facilitating a project like this every year.

Ninety students applied for a summer job on the renovation project, but only 33 were selected. The students came from multiple alternative high school campuses including Elinor Lincoln Hickey Junior/Senior High School, Gerber Junior/Senior High School and North Area Community School. The students ranged from 16 to 18 years old and worked for six hours a day.

Many of the students have experienced disciplinary and/or academic problems in conventional school settings.

The park is located at 2201 Cottage way. Its amenities include sand volleyball pits, soccer balls, tennis courts, a pond and fishing piers and, of course, a dog park.

You can read more about the project and see additional photos here.

Student from Gaza tells story of deportation

2010-08-06T01:15:41Z

Imagine being held at a security checkpoint for seven hours, told you can't return to where you have lived for the past four years, blindfolded, handcuffed and dropped at the border of a rough neighborhood in the middle of the night.

This is Berlanti Azzam's story, as told by her to a diverse audience including Palestinians and Jews Wednesday night at the Sierra Arden United Church of Christ.

The 22-year-old was six weeks away from graduating with a bachelor's degree in business administration from Bethlehem University when deported from the West Bank to her homeland, Gaza.

Azzam was given legal aid from GISHA, an Israeli legal team dealing mostly with freedom of movement issues, but was not granted permission from an Israeli court to return to school. She maintained correspondence with the university and eventually finished her coursework and received her degree remotely. Azzam said that it was a very discouraging time.

Sacramento Area Peace Action cohosted the event with SacramentoBethlehem, the organization behind the Sacramento to Bethlehem Sister City Initiative.

Patricia Daugherty from SacramentoBethlehem introduced the audience to the university's Kate Casa, executive director of the North American Development Office in Washington, D.C., and Brother Jack Curran, vice president for development.

Curran said that having Azzam in the United States was an unexpected treat. Being allowed to travel outside of Gaza can be difficult for Palestinians.

Curran and Casa had plans to visit donors and supporters throughout the country without her, and they didn't know Azzam would be able to come until July 18.

"We had been working on that since October," Curran said. "I wasn't going to believe it until I saw the whites of her eyes in Washington, D.C."

Once Curran finished speaking, a DVD was shown that told of Bethlehem University's and Azzam's story in tandem. Afterward, Azzam related her firsthand account to the audience in more detail.

When asked what helped her get through such a difficult experience, Azzam said that the support she received was crucial.

"When I saw that Bethlehem University was (still) standing beside me, I decided to continue," she said.

She said that having GISHA on her side was very encouraging as well.

Though the intention of the organizers was to have Azzam respond to inquiries relative to her experience, the audience members often asked questions better-suited for politicians than a recent college graduate.

"If you had the power, what would you do to bring peace to that region?" one person asked.

Azzam avoided offering a specific prescription to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, telling the audience that politics were not her specialty. She did, however, reveal her personal feelings.

"I'm pessimistic about peace being possible," Azzam said.

Curran agreed with her, but said there have been equally dire political situations in other places that have become peaceful, including Ireland, South Africa and Germany.

Azzam was asked to talk about the separation walls – tall concrete walls distinguishing Palestinian and Israeli land – that are gerrymandered throughout the Holy Land. After her description, a man identified himself as a Jew and asked her if she knew why the separation walls were originally built.

"It is what they have always told us...a security risk," Azzam said.

The man then asked her what she thought could be done to take the walls down. Azzam replied that she didn't have a good answer.

She tried to focus more on her story and less on holding Sacramento's own version of Middle East peace negotiations. Afterward, she said she was just glad to talk about it with people.

"I feel good, because I am speaking about what happened (to) me and (what has happened) to other Palestinians" she said. "I don't know what will happen, but I am just sending the message. Not only for me, but for others."

She said she was initially offended when the discussion turned political, but she realized that it's a subject people are very passionate about and was glad for the opportunity to discuss it with Sacramento area residents.

Adeeb Alzanoon, 48, is a Palestinian and has lived in the Sacramento area for 25 years. He is a member of the Palestinian American Congress and came to hear Azzam's story.

"I always (hope) that these kinds of functions should not include only Palestinians," he said. "We need to attract other organizations, churches, and the whole community to get educated and to know more, rather than just relying on the mainstream media."

Retired state employee Brigette Jaensch is a board member for SacramentoBethlehem and Sacramento Area Peace Action. She said she thinks events like these help to educate the community.

"I thought in general everyone was very respectful," she said. "I think we all have tremendous respect for such a young person in having such a dramatic experience, and I think regardless of your politics or your religion, you have to empathize with that horrible situation she had to go through."

Bethlehem university is a Catholic institution. It's student body is two-thirds Muslim and one-third Christian. The university works hard to foster positive interfaith relationships and requires all students to take a fourth year religious studies course together. The course is taught in two parts, one with a Muslim professor, the other with a Christian professor.

Tuition at the university is $1,200 annually, though it costs the school $4,000 to educate one student. On average, after scholarships and grants are awarded, students need to spend $700 of their own money. Sixty-nine percent of the school’s operating budget comes from fundraising, according to the DVD.

Fresh croissants in Tahoe Park

2010-08-05T04:33:36Z

For the past three weeks those who live and work in the Tahoe Park neighborhood have enjoyed Cafe Lumiere, an American-French family-owned croissant bakery and cafe.

Co-owner Geoffrey Matsuyama, 28, has spent 13 hour days - seven days a week - at the cafe since the grand opening baking croissants, training employees, and making sure customers are happy.

"I always wanted to open up my own restaurant," Matsuyama said. "I saw it as something I wanted to do when I retired, but it's actually good that I did it young. It's really a lot of work, and it puts a lot of stress on the body."

The opportunity to open the cafe came through his connection to Peter Kuo, owner of Le Croissant Factory in the Greenhaven-Pocket neighborhood. Matsuyama is a longtime friend of Kuo's son from their days together at University of California, Santa Cruz.

Kuo approached Matsuyama as a possible partner in opening this cafe. Leaving Mitsubishi Logistics, a shipping company in the bay area, to open a cafe with Kuo was an opportunity he didn't want to pass up.

"I've always wanted to open something more like a Japanese [style] restaurant, but [Kuo] had croissants, so I went for the French-American fusion," he said. "It never happens exactly how you imagine it, but things work out in its own way."

Opening a restaurant in that part of the city was a risk. It might still be, but Matsuyama said things are working in their favor. He said most of their customers were not in their target demographic.

"We were trying to aim for the businesses, and give options to UC Davis Medical Center and the Department of Justice [and] DMV," he said.

Though Matsuyama still offers a 10 percent discount for any state, federal or UC Davis employees who come in, he said the foot traffic from the neighborhood and the grab-and-go morning commuters have been crucial to starting the cafe successfully.

During the week, there’s usually a rush at lunchtime, and the Thursday-through-Sunday breakfast has been consistently popular.

With a sandwich shop across the street up for sale, the only other dining options between 57th and 60th streets on Broadway are a donut shop and a Chinese restaurant.

"[Customers] act as if it's a community service for us to be out here, because there are no businesses out here," Matsuyama said. "You just have to have the right market. What we have is working, [and] the neighborhood loves it."

Matsuyama said he is hoping to organize a Second Saturday-type of event where they showcase local artists, and stay open late to help drive a sense of community and supporting local business.

The cafe offers a wide-ranging menu. Between croissants, pastries, sandwiches, salads and an Angus burger, patrons aren't lacking a variety of options. The cafe also serves Java City coffee and alcohol. They offer Heineken, Corona, Budweiser and Bud Light. No wine is served, but staff is working out a system to charge a corkage fee for customers who bring their own.

Matsuyama picked the menu himself, and he said trying to find exactly what customers want is a work in progress. He had planned on croissants being the main draw, but the little time they have been open has shown other menu items rise in demand.

Shanti Sugaree Kalstrom, 22, lives nearby and decided to visit Tuesday morning after discovering she was out of coffee at her house.

"My brother's been in here, and he told me they serve Java City, and that's definitely a motivator for me to come in," she said.

Kalstrom purchased a plain croissant with her coffee and said she is excited to have a place like this in her neighborhood where she can sit and relax while enjoying a midmorning snack.

Claudi Nolan was visiting her daughter-in-law in the area when she saw the grand opening banners and decided to stop and taste. She ordered a ham sandwich and a few baked goods. While she was waiting for her food, she talked about the importance of supporting local businesses.

"It takes guts to start a business [in] these economic times, and that ought to be rewarded," she said.

Brandon Matteoni, 32, works nearby and has been in three times since the cafe opened.

"It's nice and clean," he said. "We've been waiting for a long time for something to open in this strip mall. It's been sitting here for a while. It was nice to have something close to us that was new."

Cafe Lumiere can be found at 57th Street and Broadway.

Hours of operation:
Monday - Thursday: 6 a.m.-7 p.m.
Friday - Saturday: 6 a.m.-9 p.m.
Sunday: 7 a.m.-2 p.m.

Phone number: 916-456-2679

Edwin McCain at Harlow's

2010-08-02T06:00:47Z

At a time when pop artists are opting for the lower octave in their live performances, Edwin McCain's hold-nothing-back vocals and down-to-earth acoustics provide refreshing and emotional entertainment.

In his Friday night 12-song set at Harlow's, a crowd of 200 were treated to one part storytelling, two parts music as McCain disclosed the sources of inspiration for each of the songs performed. Some of the stories were touching, most of them were funny, and all of them were relatable.

McCain was accompanied by one of his band members, Craig Shields, who played the saxophone and wind instrument synthesizer for the entire show. They opened with "Walk With You," a song about a father walking his daughter down the aisle of her wedding.

"It took about a year to get through that song without sniffling,” McCain told the audience.

McCain followed with one of his more widely known tracks, "I Could Not Ask for More." It was a crowd-pleaser, and a quick glance around the intimate venue showed many quietly singing along.

"Everybody thinks I sit at home all day and write wedding songs," McCain joked to the audience. "And I do."

McCain played some more songs about love and life: "I've Seen a Love," "I Want It All" and "Ghosts of Jackson Square."

Midway through the set things started to pick up with "Gramercy Park Hotel" and "One Thing Left to Do." The mostly middle-aged audience clapped and swayed in rhythm and hooted in approbation as McCain shamelessly dangled the high notes.

As the show was nearing an end McCain engaged the audience for parenting advice, sharing his recent experiences with his three young children. A crowd member informed a disappointed McCain that embarrassingly adoring his daughter's future suitors will not, as he was hoping, scare them away.

"I'll tell her, 'When's [that boy] coming back, I really liked him!'" McCain joked.

They finished the set by covering "Lucky One" by Anders Osborne before ending with the ever-popular "I'll Be," which was effectively a sing-along throughout. A standing ovation followed for an obviously grateful McCain and Shields, who left the stage for two minutes before surrendering to the applause and emerging to play "Shooting Stars" for an encore.

In an interview before the show McCain talked about his past hits: "I'll Be" and "I Could Not Ask for More."

"The anomaly was the pop success," McCain said. "We had this weird little detour where all of a sudden there were songs on the radio and we were playing pop shows. It was fun, but it was like I would trip into this weird bizarro world where you were playing on television shows and doing all of this stuff and you're like, 'Wow!'"

McCain said that he is currently working on another album with Maia Sharp and he doesn't plan on letting up in writing and performing.

"I can't image not doing it," he said. "I'm probably too dumb to quit."

Asked if he preferred a smaller venue like Harlow's to larger shows, McCain noted the differences, but he said you have to love all of it.

"When you're playing on the festival stage, playing for the big crowds...the intimacy is definitely not there," he said. "It's sort of like you're talking to a 5-year-old. It’s like, 'How are you!? Hello!'

"This is much more conversational. You can kind of read how the crowd's doing."

Michele Padgett, 48, was surprised to hear so many songs she liked but never heard of before.

"I hear the hits on the radio, but I don't ever actually buy the CD…and [I] miss all this good music," she said.

Kelly Haug, 40, has been a longtime fan of McCain's. She thought this show was particularly special.

"He can do an album with the whole production of all his musicians and then strip it down to just the bare bones of the guitar and the saxophone and still be able to blow the audience away," she said. "It was worth every dime."

Gabriel Carrillo, 27, has also been a fan of McCain's for more than a decade and was especially touched by "Walk with You."

"Even though I don't have children it moves me because I can see how important the connection between one person and another person can be," he said.

Like Padgett, Celina Spencer, 24, was surprised to discover so many songs she never heard.

"What stuck out most to me was how much I liked his other songs that aren't as popular," she said. "I kind of want to go and check them out, maybe even buy a CD."

You can listen to all of the songs McCain performed, in the order they were played, here.

Metrospark.net launch party

2010-07-30T07:19:14Z

LCD Soundsystem, MGMT and other techno-alternative bands played over the sound system as a few unfortunately punctual singles shuffled about Lounge on 20 staring at their shoelaces Wednesday evening. Within 30 minutes, however, the lounge filled up and local Sacramentans intermingled over drinks and hors d'oeuvres for Metrospark.net's launch party.

The singles website is specifically for Sacramento area residents and it attempts to solve the problems Amar Dhariwal, 30, and her friends find in online dating. They want the experience to feel closer to home and in touch with the local scene.

"There was a need," Dhariwal said. "I have so many single friends, and it's been in my ear so long, and I was like, ‘You know what? We should do something local.’ "

Dhariwal said Metrospark helps the single person feel safe through online dating by hosting events where people who have registered on the website can come and meet interesting people in a nonthreatening, public atmosphere.

Metrospark uses video profiles of its users so others can see the profile information is current, according to Dhariwal. Registration for the site is free. They are also using a psychological consultant, Angela Breitmeyer, to offer relationship advice and help users in their prospecting.

"I think online dating is a perfect venue for people to meet other people," Breitmeyer said. "But a lot of it comes down to timing and circumstances and knowing your own personal issues and your own personal baggage."

The launch party featured Miss Russian California 2010, Susan Romanishin, who held a raffle to raise funds for the Miss California pageant, free massages from Body Serenity in Fair Oaks, psychic and life counseling and free samples of Ciroc Vodka.

Singles who registered for the website were given the opportunity to record their video profiles at the event and get free drinks.

Kenyon Hill, 32, was introduced to Metrospark through a friend. He said he was glad to see so many people show up. He added that he thinks something like Metrospark could be successful in Sacramento.

"I'm kind of seeing what they're doing," he said. "Maybe if they have some more events I'll check them out. It's good for people in Sacramento to have something like this."

Libby Siino, 32, visited the psychic for a few minutes and was passively looking for someone to meet. The music pulsed in the background as she assessed the crowd.

"There’re some good looking guys, but I wouldn't say there was one guy that jumped out at me," she said. "But I'm still looking."

Even Mayor Kevin Johnson’s office had some representation. Community outreach coordinator Ryan Garner knows Dhariwal and came out to be supportive.

"It's a great crowd out here," he said. "I'm happy to see so many people turned out to support (Dhariwal), and I hope she's successful in what she's doing."

A portion of the proceeds from the party is going to Hope Productions Foundation, a nonprofit devoted to providing training and resources to local children and youth charities.

Dhariwal said they had 86 people register for Metrospark since the site’s launch on June 1. She said this is the first of many events like it.

"The support we've got from the community has been the biggest thing," she said. "I've been approached by so many business owners in town who want to work with us."

Indian Grill: homestyle Indian/Pakistani food downtown

2010-07-30T03:07:02Z

Mike Singh and Saeed Choudhry met 13 years ago in a training session for new hires at Fry's Electronics in Fremont and have been planning to open a restaurant together ever since.

Indian Grill was the realization of a dream, and the result of a lot of hard work.

Singh, 34, and Choudhry, 39, are from northern India and Pakistan, respectively, and they stress that the food they serve is unique to that region. They said many of the Indian restaurants in the area focus on southern food, and they wanted to bring something authentic and homey to the table.

The vegetables they use are from local farmers markets, according to their website, and they make their own paneer (cheese) and yogurt.

"Everything is just like what I would eat at my house," Singh said. "We just let the food do the talking for itself."

The moment you step indoors, you can see the kitchen. Chicken legs are dangling from skewers, and the glow of a fire can be seen from the mouth of their tandoor - a clay oven where they bake naan, an Indian bread served with their curry dishes or as a side.

It has been open for two months at Seventh and L streets and has done little advertising. According to Singh, the consistent lunch ruch and the growing dinner turnout foreshadow lasting success.

Between them, they have 16 years of experience in the food industry. Singh owns a pizzeria in Rancho Cordova, and Choudhry worked in his brother's Indian restaurant for eight years in Fremont before it was sold. Operating a restaurant where they are serving the food of their childhoods is something they have both wanted to do for a long time.

"We're not in it for the money," Singh said. "We're in it for passion and to share with people what the food we grew up with."

The Grill has a few tables and chairs that sit in the windows of the face of the restaurant, but more seating is available in the back, where complimentary chai tea is served and a flat screen plays basketball, baseball, football or soccer. Most of the dishes cost $6 to $8.

Ahmad German works across the street from Indian Grill for the state and comes in for lunch at least two times a week. He said his favorite dish is the seekh kabob. His friend and fellow state worker, Asfand Siddiqui, was there for the second time and said he was impressed.

"The service is quite quick," Siddiqui said. "You come in and order the food, and you're done in an hour."

The co-owners said they anticipate the momentum to keep building, and they hope their success allows them to open a Midtown location.

"Our long-term plan is to have this place open to at least 2 a.m.," Singh said.

Indian Grill is located at 629 L Street. The hours of operation are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Wiz Fashion in Oak Park

2010-07-26T06:07:34Z

The music was jive and the costumes were classy. The sun was setting on the New Beginning building at 33rd Street and Broadway in Oak Park Saturday night as more than 75 people of all ages were treated to live hip-hop, poetry, raffle prizes and a lot of cat-walking. The Wiz Fashion Show featured costume designs from Robin's Nest Fashion Boutique worn by models from Brigandis Fashion Production.

The night kicked off with Shevon Blacksheyer reading a poem in the memory of her late brother, Stanley. It wasn't long before the lights went low and models of all ages strutted to the main stage to showcase concept pieces from local fashion designer Robin Melzer.

Melzer owns and operates Robin's Nest with her husband, David, and was excited to put on a fashion show across the street from her shop.

"There's a lot of camaraderie,” she said. “We like to raise self-esteem and help teens and young adults with their motivation," she said. “We just like doing that for the community."

The show was loosely themed around The Wizard of Oz, with pictures of Dorothy, Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion and Tin Man pictured in the lobby with jewelry and clothing design vendors. The models followed a makeshift yellow-brick road up one side of the stage and down the center where they struck poses for the paparazzi.

Neither hoots nor hollers were scarce as each scene came to a close. The applause was especially raucous when the male models discreetly flexed their muscles in their shirtless three-piece suits.

The show featured local hip-hop artist Sacsown Riz. His aunt is Bridgette Carradine, founder and director of Brigandis Fashion, and she asked him to perform three of his own songs. Riz delivered and said that performing his music comes naturally.

"I started out with poetry — I was a writer," he said. "Some of my older cousins did music and I just stumbled across it one day and fell in love with it."

The Brazilian Center for Cultural Exchange of Sacramento co-sponsored the event and was serving chicken and french fries. The money from the food, as well as a portion of the proceeds from the show, will be donated to the nonprofit to sponsor young people who can't afford to get into modeling, design or photography.

Sacramento City College student Ashley Clark, 21, was one of the makeup artists working with her cousin and business partner, Taylor Moss, 20, behind the scenes.

"(The show) gives us a chance to show off our new looks," she said.

Although Clark intends to transfer to UC Davis to become a veterinarian, she said she still enjoys doing people's makeup, particularly for a show like this.

"Throughout high school when it (came) to proms and homecoming, I did everybody's makeup," she said. "Now I'll do anybody's makeup because I love doing (it)," she said.

Thirty-year Sacramento resident and legal secretary Sally Aguilar came to support one of her friends who was modeling, Limmie Propps.

"I've gone to some of the rehearsals, so I just kind of want to see the show with them all dressed up and see how they look," she said.

Most of the models were in their teenage years, but they ranged from age four to 50. Dionna Oliver, 18, recently graduated from Calvine High School and walked in three different costumes. This was her first fashion show.

"On the stage it was fun, because everyone's looking at you, even though I couldn't see anyone with the lights in my eyes," she said.

Carradine from Brigandis Fashion felt the night was a success.

"I feel really good,” she said. “I love my models and I feel like they did beautifully.”

Carradine and Melzer encouraged people of all sizes and to pay the $25 Brigandis charges for a portfolio and training. They said modeling isn't just about expressing art but staying active and finding new opportunities.

"We're going to be doing more and more things," Melzer said. "Our next big event is to do Sacramento Has Talent. We’re going to have two auditions and put on a big show for people in Sacramento."

Photos taken by Marissa Mortimer.

Bee Walk and Talk at Historic City Cemetery

2010-07-19T05:57:55Z

The bees were out and buzzing Saturday morning as two graduate students from the the UC Berkeley Urban Bee Laboratory spoke to 30 Sacramento residents about native bees and plants and their role in the environment.

The gathering was in the Hamilton Square garden inside the Sacramento Historic City Cemetery. It was organized by the Sacramento Audubon Society in conjunction with the Old City Cemetery Committee.

Those in attendance sat in the shade of the Mortuary Chapel as Sacramento Audubon's Julie Serences introduced Misha Leong and Marissa Ponder from UC Berkeley.

"There are many things that are out of our control with climate change. It can be so abstract," Serences said, "The one thing we can do is work on the biodiversity of our little tiny pieces of land, and it does make a difference, it really does."

Serences also looked to the lighter side of taking an interest in native bees.

"I also want to stress the entertainment value,” she said. “If you have children or grandchildren … it's just pure entertainment."

The group split into two led by Leong or Ponder for the bulk of the morning to observe some of the 40 bee species the garden hosts.

Ponder pointed out several types of bees buzzing about the cemetery.

"The three things bees care about are pollen, nectar and sex. That's it," Ponder said to laughter.

She made distinctions between plants that attract a lot of bees, and others that receive less attention. She carried a cooler over her shoulder which housed an ice-pack and an assortment of bees inside plastic tubes.

Ponder said that if you put bees in a cool place for about 20 minutes they'll fall into a deep sleep because they can’t regulate their temperature. She placed a bee in the palm of her hand for all to see up close. It took only a minute or two for the bee to wake up and fly away.

One of the gardeners in the group expressed concern that he had seen only a few bees in his vegetable garden this year, but Ponder told him not to worry.

"Overall, we find it's been a low bee year," she said, "but that's not necessarily a bad thing."

Berkeley's bee lab observes the insects across California and Ponder said there's nothing to worry about regarding urban bees. The low and late bee activity can be attributed to the high levels of rain in the past months, she said. It causes plants to bloom later so bees emerge from their nests later.

Ponder stressed that for gardens to thrive in urban settings, it is important that native plants are prevalent.

"Native bees tend to be attracted to native plants; they have co-evolved for over thousands of years together," she said.

Leong, who studies bees across human-altered landscapes, wanted the group to understand how important bees are in Sacramento.

"You find more diversity across urban areas than you find in agricultural areas," she said.

"Urban areas have such high potential for bees because there's a lot of areas where they can nest and there's a lot of diversity in plants."

Maureen Geiger became interested in native bees about two years ago. She lives behind C.K. McClatchy High Shool and cares for a five-by-10-foot garden plot with native and perennial plants. She encourages all gardeners to enlist bees in pollinating their plants.

"Take out the stuff that doesn't attract bees, those are just junk plants, they don't do anything for the environment at all," Geiger said.

Sharon Patrician is the main caretaker for the Hamilton Square Garden through the Old City Cemetery Committee and has been involved with this garden since its beginning in 1997. A friend introduced her to Dr. Gordon Frankie from UC Berkeley, who asked if he could use the garden to conduct research.

"I hadn't planted with bees in mind, I had planted plants that were of interest to me," Patrician said. "(Frankie) was just amazed with the variety of bees there were."

Along with native species, Patrician has planted flora from Chile, South Africa, Australia and the Mediterranean.

"The native bees will sample non-native (plants), they're curious and they might be a pollen source they don't know about," she said.

"I think it was really successful," Serences said, "We had a waiting list of about 40 people, so there's a lot of interest in the community about native bees."

If you would like more information about native bees and what you can do for your garden, you can visit the links above or contact Julie Serences at education@sacramentoaudubon.org.

Photos taken by Marissa Mortimer.

Bastille Day Waiters' Race in Midtown

2010-07-16T02:08:33Z

At 6 p.m. on Wednesday evening a champagne cork popped that sent more than 40 waiters and waitresses on a footrace in the inaugural Sacramento Bastille Day Waiters' Race.

Each of the runners had to carry a server tray holding two glasses and a bottle of wine from the alley between Le Petit Paris and Mulvaney's B&L, around the 1800 block between L Street and Capitol Avenue, and into the courtyard behind the L Wine Lounge and Urban Kitchen.

"They celebrate the fall of the Bastille in Paris by running through the streets with wine, and wouldn't that be fun to do in Sacramento?" said Patrick Mulvaney, owner of Mulvaney's B&L.

Mulvaney decided to organize the race per the suggestion of Sactown Magazine's Rob Turner. In Sactown's June/July issue, Turner wrote about the race's origins in Paris, and its replication across the United States. Washington, D.C.; Boston; Los Angeles and Portland are all holding their own races for Bastille Day, so why not Sacramento?

"I thought originally we would have eight-10 people, quite frankly, but when we started inviting everybody, everybody came, and so we were up to 40 or 50 racers," Mulvaney said.

In this inaugural race, Midtown restaurants were heavily represented. Aimee Chilson from de Vere's Irish Pub was sent to the race by her boss to claim the first-place prize, the Golden Beret.

"I'm in pretty good shape I think," Chilson said before the race of her chances for victory, "I had an iced tea, and a water, and a cigarette."

Jeff and Rochelle Cohen are Sacramento residents and had heard of the event in the morning news. As admitted Francophiles, they were excited to come and witness the festivities.

"Anything to inculcate French customs into Sacramento is a lot of fun," Jeff said.

The moment the race began, glasses and bottles of wine went crashing to the asphalt. The waiters' raced on, refusing to be discouraged, around the block and up the steps in seek of prizes and pride. Once they reached the courtyard, they had to serve two glasses of wine to designated judges sitting at tables.

First place went to Joe Cowley, 24, from Michelangelo's at 18th and I streets. He was awarded the Golden Beret and given a multiple-night stay at The Citizen Hotel on J Street.

"I'd say this is the best achievement I've won so far," Cowley said jokingly. "I love Midtown, I know it well, so it was very fun," he said.

Other prizes awarded were gift certificates from US Denim Spot, Caren Templet and overnight stays at Paris on the Yolo Causeway from the Hyatt and Sheraton hotels, according to Mulvaney.

After the race, L Wine Lounge was serving food and drinks in the courtyard, and Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates and Yogurtagogo were offering desserts. The atmosphere was light, and the race seemed a success.

"It was fun, and I think everybody had a good time," Mulvaney said. "The fact that 45 people wanted to get out and put a tray and glasses together on a hot July night and run around, I thought that was funny, and it was good for Sacramento."

Photos by Brandon Darnell.

Pro cyclist book signing at Fleet Feet

2010-07-10T03:36:30Z

For the past several years, Fleet Feet Sports at 2311 J St. has held athlete meet-and-greets at which runners, cyclists and triathletes can swap stories, meet vendors and motivate each other. Such was the agenda Thursday night when professional cyclist Kathryn Bertine met with local enthusiasts to sign copies of her book about her quest to qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Her book, "As Good as Gold," details her quest to qualify and to motivate Sacramento's multisport community.

Bertine was making a living as a writer and had done some freelance work for ESPN when the station offered her the opportunity of a lifetime in 2006.

"(ESPN) called me up and said, 'Hey, we want you to try and make it to the 2008 Olympics and write about it,'" Bertine said. "I was shocked!"

Nearly 70 people at Fleet Feet were eager to hear her story, chat with other athletes and vendors, and munch free burritos.

Ernest and Erin Duarte, both multisport participants, were soaking up the atmosphere. Erin, 35, is preparing for her first triathlon race Saturday at Rancho Seco Park. With two daughters, 5 and 7, finding time to train has been one of the more difficult aspects of the competition.

"I'll train when I can, and she'll train with her group when she can," Ernest said.

"My family's been really important because they realized this was something I wanted to do, so they were very supportive," Erin said, noting that her parents watched the girls while she trained.

Pat Sweeney, co-owner of the store with wife Jan since 1997, said that meet-and-greet events build the popularity of endurance sports. When a friend told him Bertine's story, Sweeney said he thought it would be great to host a book-signing along with the usual social gathering.

"Rather than just do her, let's have her be in our triathlete get-together," he said.

Mike Gates, sponsorship director of Sacramento Triathlon Club, said that having the group represented at events promotes triathlon and fosters a sense of community.

"We're a network of people trying to help everyone learn the sport," he said.

Gates encourages all ages to explore the sport and said increasing its visibility through stories such as Bertine's helps.

Vendors at the event included Ikon Cycles, Total Body Fitness and Xtreme Sports ID.

Bertine encouraged aspiring athletes.

"When it comes to things like sports and, in particular, endurance sports, the participation is the reward," she said. "Whether you start at 10 or you get into it in your 40s and 50s, there's nothing wrong with that."

A figure skater in her youth, she turned professional in that sport until she went to college and pursued running and rowing on a scholarship. She evolved into a triathlete as a graduate student at the University of Arizona, where her affinity for cycling began to grow.

"When I started this project I had no idea I would ever fall in love with cycling as much as I did," Bertine said.

And then ESPN came up with its big idea for the athlete.

The network wanted its readers and viewers to see how difficult it was for someone to get to the Olympics. Bertine settled on cycling as her best shot to break into the Beijing Games two years ago, but fell short. Undiscouraged, she has set her sights on the London 2012 Summer Games and is currently following a strict racing schedule.

Bertine races for TriSports Cycling/Eclipse Racing team in the United States. Internationally, she races for St. Kitts and Nevis, a two-island nation southeast of Puerto Rico that she will represent if she qualifies for the 2012 Olympics. She has dual citizenship with St. Kitts and Nevis and the United States. Read her brief biography here.

You can find information on purchasing "As Good as Gold" here.

Photos by Marissa Mortimer.

New gym/wellness facility at CSUS

2010-07-08T01:56:28Z

With 151,000 square feet of floor space, self-shading sky lights, recycled sunflower seed walls, and a host of Big Ass Fans, Sacramento State's new recreation center is sure to be the main attraction when the fall semester begins.

The name of the building is the WELL. It's an acronym for: wellness, education, leisure, lifestyle. Inspiration for the name came from the perspective that the university didn't want just an athletic center, but a place that encouraged wellness in all aspects of a student's life.

The WELL will house a primary and urgent care clinic, pharmacy, psychological services and laboratory services in addition to four basketball courts, four racquetball courts, an indoor track, and plenty of cardio and free-weight space. The full list of features can be viewed here.

"It's more than just a recreation center — we're looking to service the students on many levels," WELL Director Mirjana Gavric said. "We're building a place where people can go and forget about books and finances for a half-hour and then get back to the world."

The project has been a long time in the making, dating back over 10 years when the student body rejected the proposal through a referendum in 1999. The project was shelved until three years later.

In 2002 the University Union Operation of CSUS Inc. explored the idea again in partnership with the university, Associated Students Inc., and other auxiliary organizations to discuss how to proceed.

They held open meetings and focus groups, and conducted a student survey to find out what the campus community would want in a building like this. They also hired an outside consultant to help them with feasibility aspects.

"It was really the partnership between the students and President (Alexander) Gonzalez that bought the project to fruition," Union Executive Director Leslie Davis said.

In the spring semester of 2004, a referendum was finally passed that made way for the WELL's construction. The project's groundbreaking ceremony was held in October 2008.

"The biggest thing about the WELL is the impact it will have on the campus. It will aid in the recruitment of students, it will aid in the retention of students, and it will be a source of pride," Davis said.

The new building cost $71.3 million, $50 million of which is being paid for through a California State University system-wide bond. The other portion of the cost is being covered by student fee hikes approved through the referendum passed six years ago, according to University Project Manager Victor Takahashi.

Takahashi is in charge of the design and construction of the WELL and has been one of the leaders in making sure the building meets LEED certification standards.

"We are trying to make this a sustainable building," Takahashi said.

The WELL management staff anticipate getting the silver certification but are working toward attaining gold. In order to achieve this, the building employs many different energy-efficient technologies. The abundance of natural lighting in the building and the use of recycled materials in the walls and floors are two examples of the building's green characteristics.

"We're cutting edge," Davis said.

The grand opening will be on Sept. 2 and will be open to the public. There will be free food, a ribbon-cutting ceremony, tours of the building and an attempt at the Guinness World Record for the largest dodgeball game.

You can view the WELL webcam with live video of the construction progress here.

Food & photography workshop this Saturday

2010-07-07T01:45:22Z

Food journalist Elaine Corn and photographer Morgan Ong will be hosting a hands-on cooking and food photography workshop at Beatnik Studios starting Saturday. The two-day workshop will be on July 10 and 17 from 9:30 a.m. to noon and will cost $90 per person.

Corn hopes the workshop will enhance the increasing interest in food photography and blogging online.

"With blogging and food photography, I thought we'll just get the two together," she said. "We'll eat and style a little and everyone will get a chance to shoot their food."

Attendees can expect to improve their cooking and photography skills in many areas. The workshop will cover knife-work, knowing when food is done, camera setting adjustments, and props and styling.

Corn has been a food journalist for more than 25 years and has worked all over the country. She is a former food editor for The Sacramento Bee and led that section to many awards from the Association of Food Journalists. She currently covers food as a contributing reporter for Capital Public Radio. One of her more recent features was Broadway: Around the World in Thirty Blocks.

She is also the author of six cookbooks and received the Julia Child and James Beard cookbook awards for Now You're Cooking: Everything a Beginner Needs to Know to Start Cooking Today.

Ong has spent the last several decades as a photographer for The Sacramento Bee, Associated Press, Knight Ridder and McClatchy Newspapers. He has had work appear in the New York Times, Washington Post, Time and Newsweek.

"This is a way to increase their awareness of how food can be better presented in either blogs or postings online," Ong said about the workshop.

Ong said people can bring whatever cameras they use on a regular basis, whether it's the camera on your cell phone or a digital SLR.

The class will be very hands-on, with the participants most likely cooking something out of one of Corn's cookbooks. Those attending should plan on eating what they cook.

"Everyone will get a chance to cook," Corn said.

No prior sign up is necessary. Attendees can bring payment on the first Saturday of the workshop.

Images courtesy of Elaine Corn.

Farmstand to open in Mckinley Park

2010-07-05T06:49:48Z

Starting this coming Saturday, Soil Born Farms will operate a farm stand in front of the library at McKinley Park in East Sacramento. The stand will sell fruit and vegetables grown by farmers in Sacramento, Yolo, Placer, El Dorado, Yuba, Sutter, Solano and San Joaquin counties.

Randy Stannard, Soil Born's food access coordinator, is heading up the stand. It is one of many food-delivery models that the farm is using to bring healthy, locally grown food to the community.

"Instead of bringing ten to 20 farmers to one spot, we go to the farms and we basically buy and resell produce as well as our own," Stannard said, comparing the stand to a farmers market.

The stand is one component of several projects managed by Soil Born through a Community Food Security Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Soil Born sought a location people were familiar with and that was central to the community. McKinley Park seemed to be the right place, given the number of activities already taking place there. The farm was was embraced by the East Sacramento community, with assistance from City Councilman Steve Cohn and the East Sacramento Chamber of Commerce.

The project has taken a lot of work, and has posed some challenges.

"I think the biggest thing is getting people to want the food. We can put the food right in front of people but it doesn't mean they're going to buy it," Stannard said. "We always have to have an eduction component as a huge part of what we do."

Another challenge with the stand has been pricing. It is difficult for smaller farmers to compete with larger retail locations, but Soil Born is committed to making the stand successful.

"We want to make that connection for people so that they realize there's people growing this food that live in the community," Stannard said.

In certain respects, the stand is a tool for market research. Soil Born is hoping to develop a successful model to buy and sell local produce that can be replicated in multiple locations throughout the city and beyond.

"Either that, or we can come up with something that works and somebody else can replicate it," Stannard said.

The proceeds from the stand will go toward subsidizing other food-access projects. Stannard indicated that this could materialize in collaborative Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) boxes.

This is not Soil Born's first food-access project. They have worked with Head Start centers to distribute produce through its locations, but the effort wasn't as successful as hoped.

"It was a good idea in terms of putting the food right in front of people we're trying to impact," Stannard said. "We found that when people were coming to pick up their kids they weren't in a shopping frame of mind."

Soil Born has established a successful farmers market in Del Paso Heights and is looking for another location in South Sacramento for a farm stand.

Weather permitting, the stand will be open through October, but Stannard said Soil Born hopes to find an indoor location and operate throughout the winter as well.

"Ideally, threes things need to happen year round," he said.

Photos courtesy of Soil Born Farms.

Veteran teacher hosts Wake for Public Education

2010-07-01T02:52:54Z

Close to 60 people converged on a home in the River Park neighborhood of East Sacramento Tuesday evening to mourn the reductions in the public education budget in the Sacramento area and to discuss what can be done to prevent further cuts.

Educators, students, parents, political figures and concerned members of the public were all in attendance to listen to speakers, hear poetry and voice their concerns and opinions on the state of education in the community.

The wake was hosted by Jim Harper, a teacher of American government and history at Laguna Creek High School and an occasional instructor at California State University, Sacramento. Harper has been teaching for 23 years and was involved with education at the state level prior to that. He said he has seen the cuts in education firsthand and wanted to do something about it.

"I'm not just going to go home for the summer and be on vacation," Harper said of his idea to have the wake.

In an interview after the wake, Harper said he thinks there needs to be three elements to promise a better future to public education in Sacramento and across the state: first, a zeal for reform in government and the community; second, using test scores and data appropriately; and third, connecting the school community with the surrounding community.

Those attending were encouraged to wear either pink or black to commemorate the California teachers that have been pink slipped this year and to symbolize the proverbial death of public education. A coffin filled with education paraphernalia resided in the front lawn as another symbol of education's grim future.

Towards the end of the wake, those in attendance brainstormed ideas to alleviate the issue and raise awareness. They consolidated these ideas into a compact of five points, which they are sending to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, members of the State Legislature and candidates running for statewide office.

You can read the compact and see more photos of the event on the Wake for Public Education's Facebook page.

Other community members included political staffers, teachers recently laid off and political candidates.

The current budget crisis does not hold a lot of promise for education funding, according to David Gonsalves, a staffer for Assemblyman Dave Jones.

"This being a year when we're $20 billion in the hole, everything is on the chopping block unfortunately," Gonsalves said. "Events like these help us to understand what the priorities of the community are," he said.

When asked if Jones has any plans to protect education funding in the state budget, Gonsalves said that while it is important for the Assemblyman, his influence only goes as far as expressing his priorities to the legislative leadership.

Ryan Chin, who will compete in a runoff election for City Council, said education has always been a priority for him in his District 7 race and he would look to local businesses to alleviate the funding shortfalls.

"You have a greater influence as a City Council member to reach out to (private business) and say, 'Come to the table. Education is important to the work force of Sacramento, so step up and help us fund it,'" Chin said.

Susan Cooper, education consultant to State Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, was the first to address the audience about the budget crisis and education.

"We need to raise taxes," Cooper said.

Cooper added that new taxes will be a critical source of revenue for an educational budget, but that it's not the only source.

"It would be a really smart thing to convince our friends on the other side of the aisle to extend some taxes that are about to expire," she said.

An audience member asked if there was sufficient political will for special taxes for educational funding.

"There is an appetite, but it's a partisan appetite," Cooper said.

Cooper encouraged members of the community to contact their legislators often and voice their opinions.

"You got Steinberg's vote, so work on the other (legislators)," Cooper said.

Ken Poppers from the Elk Grove Education Association spoke after Cooper with a message of solidarity for the teachers in attendance.

"We're all in this together, we're here to serve our students," Poppers said.