Maverick's Misc. Stories

Walking among Giants

2012-07-30T01:29:04Z

Saturday afternoon, a small portion of United States Marine Corps Recruit Platoon 1034, known as the “Giants Platoon,” reunited at the Vietnam Memorial in Capital Park in Sacramento for the second time since their homecoming.

Retired USMC Sgt. Ed Flores stated that they come and reunite “to honor the accomplishment of our youth, to give praise to our fallen, and to thankfully celebrate life one more time, together.”

July 26, 1967, the young volunteers of Platoon 1034, made up of recruits mostly from Northern California, made a special trip to Candlestick Park in San Francisco. During pre-game festivities, they were sworn in on national television and in front of the crowd gathered for the Giants game; subsequently they were affectionately dubbed, “Giants Platoon.”

At the seventh inning stretch, the recruits were marched back to their bus which took them straight to San Diego.

“Forty-five years ago we were sworn in at Candlestick Park, went off to boot camp together and most of us haven’t seen each other since,” Doug Mayo stated. “We’re just here together to pay tribute to the guys who didn’t make it back from Vietnam.”

I asked Mayo what it was like being back together with his platoon after so many years.

“...You know, none of the faces are familiar, the names are. We’ve aged a lot,” Mayo said with a chuckle, “but it’s good to see the guys again.”

“The Marine Corps had some of us waiting two months to enlist; they were waiting to get seventy-five of us together based on scholastics and athletics, two or three from each recruiter over Northern California. They took us to Candlestick Park, brought our parents over there, the Marine Corps paid for everything. It was a doubleheader with the Mets. They had us march out, sort of, on the pitcher's mound and we were sworn in by the Brigadier General on TV. We were pretty nervous and proud, but it was an awesome experience. We went directly from there to begin our training and initiation to the life of the Marine Corps,” Larry Goldsmith stated.

The Vietnam Memorial in Sacramento resides in the northeast corner of Capital Park. Its position is flanked by two of the busiest streets in downtown, L and 15th streets, but there’s a certain hush and calm at the site, as if the busy traffic going by does not exist. It’s a multi-million dollar structure erected with incredible detail and decorum.

Surrounding the outer circumference of the Memorial are black granite panels engraved with the names of 5,800 Californians who died or are missing. The interior walls of the structure bear incredible bronze reliefs depicting actual scenes from Vietnam based on photographs.

During their reunion, Ed Duran called the platoon to order; they lined up on the outer circle of the front entrance of the memorial and started off with a roll call. Each man, in turn, sounded off with his name, rank and Military Occupational Specialty (MOS). Flores read the declaration he drafted, then a wreath was placed at the entrance of the Memorial with a framed copy of the declaration.

An ROTC color guard presented the colors as the platoon came to attention and paused for a moment of silence for their missing and dead.

At the reunion, I had the privilege of talking with some of the men about their time in Vietnam and what it was like coming home, and by the time I left the guys I truly knew I was walking among Giants.

I won’t even attempt to relate their words here. The written word can not carry the emotion and expression they shared with me. Each interview was captured on video and will be posted at a later date.

Guess who blows into town Saturday morning?

2012-02-25T09:24:37Z

World famous Sean Casey and the TIV (Tornado Intercept Vehicle) blow into Sacramento early Saturday morning. Casey, a die-hard storm chaser and movie producer, built the TIV so that he could accomplish his life-long passion of entering the eye of the tornado and documenting it on film.

Casey built the TIV to accomplish just that. Casey and team began building TIV2 in 2007 and finished it in time for the tornado season of 2008. The turit atop TIV2 was home to the 80mm IMAX camera Sean would use in creating the 3D, action packed, sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat, stunning Tornado Alley. You may have seen Sean on the Discovery Channel as he was making this movie.

Sean and the TIV will be at the Esquier IMAX theater Saturday from 10am to 6pm. NorCal Skywarn, the local trained storm spotters/chasers for the National Weather Service, invite you to join them in welcoming Sean back to Sacramento, at 10:30am (just before the 11am mantenee showing of Tornado Alley) and for you to meet some of your local storm spotters/chasers who will be on hand to answer question about local storm spotting and you can become a part of NWS Skywarn.

See the Tornado Alley trailer at the bottom of this page>>

Disclosure: Ed Fogle is a trained storm spotter/chaser for the National Weather Service's SKYWARN. Skywarn Spotter SA-125

What happens when Sheriff K9's retire?

2012-01-03T03:01:18Z

The Sacramento Sheriff's K9 Association held a fundraiser and demonstration Sunday at Pet Food Express on Fair Oaks Blvd.

Along with meeting the K9's, getting to rub a K9 belly and meet their handlers, goers had the opportunity to purchase the new 2012 SSDK9 calendar loaded with dynamic images of the dogs and their handlers by XSiGHT Photography and Video.

Ike, one of twelve active K9’s in the unit, has seen his fair share of rough and tumble, part of the job as a K9. Deputy Pomerson, Ike’s partner and handler, related how Ike went over a fence after a bad guy and punctured a lung. With the punctured lung, Ike still latched on to the bad guy until deputies apprehended the perp. Ike’s chest swelled to almost twice his normal size and he was rushed to medical care and saved. After a two week recovery, Pomerson related, Ike eagerly went back to work.

Pomerson shared tales of his partner, such as how he slides back and forth in the back seat responding to calls.

“It seems the more he (Ike) is tossed around in the back, [the] more he’s excited and ready to get the bad guy when we arrive at the scene.”

Pomerson also explained the toll the tossing around takes on the K9’s, giving them an average of five to seven workable years. When the K9’s retire, “they get to de-stress and just enjoy the rest of their life as a pet and adapt well,” stated Pomerson.

We got to tag along while Pomerson gave Ike a bath at the pet store. Even though the water was nice and warm, Pomerson agreed Ike would much rather be getting wet in the river.

When Ike retires, Pomerson will purchase him from the county for one dollar plus tax, and Ike will enjoy his retirement as the family pet. With Ike’s retirement, Pomerson will get a new K9 partner. At that time, Pomerson explained, the hardest part for Ike will be not going to work.

On their off days they do absolutely no work related things at all, and when it’s time to go back to work and Pomerson dons his uniform, Ike gets all excited.

“Even when I chirp the alarm on the car or move the car around, Ike gets all excited thinking it’s time to got to work,” said Pomerson.

A large portion of the fundraising proceeds are dedicated to the retirement needs of the K9’s who served their community. The fundraising calendar is a wonderful way to get to know the beautiful and talented animals that protect and serve our community.

If you are interested in donating and being involved with the SSDK9 association, their site has all the information and details you need to get engaged. Be sure to check out SSDK9 Association fundraising golf tournaments and marathons as well.

SSDK9 Demo/Fundraiser from SacMav Rapid Media on Vimeo.

Deputy Amos talks about the K9's>>

Pastors remain on task, city council hopefuls interviewed

2011-09-23T05:33:02Z

Sacramento, CA | Area Pastors promissed to remain on watch, holding current city council members and hopefuls accountable.

Area pastors remain on task as promissed, holding both current council members and June 2012 City Council hopefuls accountable. Today, Allen Warren (running for the district 2 seat), and Betty Williams (running for the district 8 seat) were interviewed by a large constituency of area pastors.

Both hopefuls shared their backgrounds, qualifications, goals and priorities and then were asked tough and challenging questions and quizzed by the pastors. Warren and Williams were interviewed and "put on the hot seat" seperately by the group of pastors.

Sharing his background and qualifications with area pastors, Allen Warren, who intends to run for the district 2 seat, shared how his life was set for pro baseball with the New York Yankees when his carrer path took a drastic change. He found himself on Wall Street being trained and groomed with a large financial agency and then further into business. Warren stated that job creation is a top priority on his agenda.

Warren stated that he had not inteded politics to become a carrer choice for himself, but with the currentl lack of leadership he feels he had to step up. He promissed pastors that he is prepared to "stay the course".

Betty Williams, with a long diverse tenure in many upper level positons with the NAACP and long time community advocate, stated that crime and education top her list of priorties. Under incumbant, Bonnie Pannell's watch, Sacramento Police Chief, Rick Braziel, has indicated publicly that district eight's Meadowview area has become the worst crime ridden area in the city, Williams stated. Already on advisory counciles with the Sherrif and Police Chief, the Meadowview area is high on Williams radar for crime reduction.

Williams also advised the pastors that she has hired Sam Walton, the late Sam Pannell's campaign manger to manage her campaign. When asked what defines the difference between Pannell and herself, Williams emphatically stated, "My leadership is stronger than Bonnie Pannell's." Williams stated that she has already received endorsements from Mayor Kevin Johnson, Jay Schenirer and Willie Brown among others.

Moderator, Pastor Darryl Heath, made it very clear to both contenders that "there is no quid pro quo here". He was careful to state that the pastors are not promissing their vote and are not expecting anything in exchange. He stated to both that "the only thing we want from you is for you to do your job with integrity and honesty."

The pastors have promissed current and future council membes to have at least one represenative present at every council meeting and to remain on watch for the city as a whole.

Disclosure: I am an area pastor and affiliated with the pastor's newly formed watch group, CYHU- Can You Hear Us Now

Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market breaks ground in Oak Park

2011-08-31T23:00:26Z

Sacramento, CA | Tim Mason, CEO of California based Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, with Mayor Kevin Johnson, Councilman Jay Schenirer and other community memberrs broke ground Wednesday morning in a well attended ceremony in Oak Park.

The market will be built on the north west corner of Broadway and 34th Street. Mayor Kevin Johnson stated that when he came back from college he said "what can we do with this piece of property? As a year or two went by, you realize that properites this size get into the wrong hands." Johnson bought the land in 2002 and just held it "till the right person came in or the right company said 'we want to do something that will be an assest to the community.'" Prior to Fresh & Easy, Johnson stated that "they wanted to put a used appliance store there..." Johnson stated that this (Fresh & Easy) is the right business.

“I’m excited to welcome Fresh & Easy to our neighborhood,” said Johnson. “Fresh & Easy is not only bringing more good jobs to Sacramento, but also high-quality, healthy food at affordable prices to neighborhoods that don’t always have access to such foods.”

Johnson thanked Chris Brown who worked tirelessly and handled the real estate transaction, making sure the properety fell into the right hands.

In his opening remarks, Mason stated, "We hope to continue to be part of the solution in providing greater food access and help give food options to all types of communities... at a price they can afford right where they live."

Mason stated they have opened 137 stores since they opened in 2007, invested over two billion dollars and created more than 4500 jobs. In Oak Park, the new store will create 300 construction jobs and when it is finished it will create 30 retail jobs for the community.

"We have worked very hard to create a thoughtful business and a business that can make a difference in the community" Mason stated.

In a press release, Fresh & Easy noted the locations opening in greater Sacramento in 2012

Watt Ave. & El Camino Ave.- Sacramento
34th St. & Broadway- Sacramento
Mack Rd. & Franklin Blvd.- Sacramento
Lincoln & Sterling Rd.- Lincoln
Elk Grove Florin Rd. & Calvine Rd.- Elk Grove
E. Natoma St. & Blue Ravine Rd.- Folsom

"When you say Oak Park, when you put those two words together, people show up; people have been showing up for a long time. We are hitting our stride in this community; we are doing great things" Councilman Jay Schenierer stated.

"I know you said that you like to put your stores in all types of communities, so on behalf of Oak Park, I want to thank you for putting your store in the best and most engaged community that we have in Sacramento" Schenirer stated to Mason.

"When you look at Oak Park you see a diverse community, not just one sector of Sacramento" said Schenirer

Fresh & Easy has created nearly 5,000 jobs in California, Arizona and Nevada. Entry-level positions start at $10 an hour in California and provide room for employees to grow quickly. The company offers quarterly bonuses of up to 10% as well as a 401(k) with company match. Fresh & Easy believes everyone deserves access to affordable and comprehensive healthcare and provides all employees the opportunity to work at least 20 hours per week, which entitles everyone in the business to vision, prescription drug, dental and medical coverage with Fresh & Easy paying at least 75%.

In an impromptu open dialog, Mason committed to Johnson to install a solar roof and create space on the grounds for community members to sell their produce from the community gardens being developed. As a gesture and token of the commitment, Mason took his tie off and gave it to Johnson. Johnson holding the tie up stated that he would wear the tie at the ribbon cutting when the store opens.

"Fresh & Easy is going to open six stores in this area, that's a total of 150 jobs. We have double digit unemployment rates; that is a big deal." Johnson stated.

Fresh & Easy touts being a "green" company and you can learn more about them at their site>>>

Fresh & Easy invites community members to join their "Friends" to say in the know>>>

View more photos from this event>>>

The Hangtown National Motocross pleased local crowds

2011-05-24T06:51:19Z

Sacramento, CA | Motorcycle engines roared, dirt flew and riders grabbed air Saturday in the fortieth annual Hangtown Classic.

Almost prophetically, Brandon Short, Media Manager for MX Sports Pro Racing stated in an earlier press release, "With the overall victory at Hangtown last year to his credit, Two Two Motorsports/Bel-Ray racing's Chad Reed should also be a fixture at the front of the field on Saturday and beyond." Short went on to say "...the 2009 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Champion had an up and down season during his title defense, but with a clean bill of health and support from Factory Honda, Reed is eager to show his younger counterparts that he's still ready to mix it up."

And mix it up Reed did. For the second year in a row, Chad Reed, originally from Australia, grabbed this year's title riding a Honda CRF45R. The previous year's records show he took the title astride a Kawasaki KX450F.

"We came here this weekend and it was a totally different track than what we were expecting; I was pleasantly surprisde. It was a lot of fun." Reed said adamently, "I would admint saying that I don't like this place."

Riders who hale from all over the world came to race at this star studded event. Some local riders are from Walnut Creek, Lodi, Yuba City, Carmichael and more.

Blake Baggett, riding a Kawasaki grabbed the crown this year in the 250 Class

1. Blake Baggett
2. Dean Wilson
3. Tyla Rattray
4. Eli Tomac
5. Marvin Musquin
6. Gareth Swanepoel
7. Kyle Cunningham
8. Darryn Durham
9. Broc Tickle
10. Cole Seely

The 450 Class results is as follows:

1. Chad Reed
2. Ryan Dungey
3. Ryan Villopoto
4. Kevin Windham
5. Brett Metcalfe
6. Davi Milsaps
7. Tommy Hahn
8. Christophe Pourcel
9. Ricky Dietrich
10. Christian Craig

Visit SacMav for additional photos
and lots of action fiels

Join us at SacMav.com

Hangtown motocross celebrates four decades Saturday

2011-05-21T15:09:42Z

This year marks the fortieth running of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship. Celebrated as the most historic motocross race in the United States, the kickoff is Saturday afternoon at Hangtown in Rancho Cordova, California.

Jason Weigandt will be the Pro Moto Cross Championship play-by-play anouncer on television. The event will be telivised on NBC, SPEED & FUEL Networks.

In a world of Moto Cross starr studded event Thursday at the Capital, Weigandt introduced several of the world's top racers to Sacramento along with several dignataries. Bikes, race participants, sponsors and more were on hand to introduce folks to the world of American Motocross and allow fans to get some quality with their favorite world class racers. Ryders on hand to meet and greet and autograph posters.

Weigandt lists ten things to watch for at Hangtown: >>

The Short run
Supercorss Hangover
Ladies
Dungey keeps it simple
The wild card
Wide open
Orangemen
Rebuild time
Doing it the right way
The great outdoors

Racers will compete in three different classes: two for Men = 450 CC bikes & 250CC bikes, and one for females.
There are twelve races in the championship chase that runs across the United States, ending in Southern California in September.

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS MORE INFORMATION ON TODAY'S HANGTOWN EVENTS>>

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Photos by Maverick Intern, Andrew Guthrie

Unstable air paints beautiful clouds against sky blue canvas

2011-03-22T06:29:52Z

Sacramento, CA | Unstable air in the area paints a myraid of cloud formations in Sacramento skies.

While we enjoyed a breif break from the rain in Sacramento Monday, incredible clouds could be viewed all over the Sacramento skies. The unstable air that produced these sites was also responsible for a low grade tornado that touched down in near by Colusa county and produced a downpour of pea sized hail in Penryn and Loomis areas as well as thunder storms.

Tuesday should yield some more awesome sights in the sky as the next wave of rain moves into the area for another wet week. The National Weather Service has issued this forcast for the remainder of the week:

Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers after 11am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 58. South southeast wind between 8 and 13 mph.

Tuesday Night: Rain. Low around 48. South southeast wind between 10 and 18 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.

Wednesday: Rain. High near 56. Southeast wind between 18 and 21 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.

Wednesday Night: Rain. Low around 46. South southeast wind between 11 and 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Thursday: Rain. High near 55. Chance of precipitation is 100%.

Thursday Night: Showers. Low around 45. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Friday: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 58.

Friday Night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45.

Saturday: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 57.

Saturday Night: A chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 48.

Sunday: A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 59.

Sunday Night: A chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 46.

Monday: A slight chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 61.

Cementing the future

2011-03-12T11:33:12Z

Oak Park, Sacramento, CA | In tough economic times, Sacramento Food Bank pours the foundation to the next phase of their facility Thursday.

Cement trucks began arriving early Friday morning at 3308 3rd Ave., the expansion site of Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services. They were busy at work laying the foundation for the new expansion, one that the food bank's President, Blake Young is "ecstatic" about. Blake stated that he and the board of directors, through good stewardship of funds, waited seven years for this day.

Blake stood outside the fence at the site Friday morning and looked on as the cement was poured and a snazy laser guided machine and workers leveled the cement that would be the foundation of a legacy for a community.

This is what Young had to say: "This project, in particular, is years in the making. The board of directors and myself based this project on a community needs assessment. Through our strategic plan we put together, we found that education programs for children and adults, job skills training, and a really important parent education program, we felt that we were at capacity in our current center. So through this strategic plan we decided to take the next step, which would be to build out these four in particular programs, build this center which would allow us to serve close to triple the amount of people. For us it was really about helping the moms and dads, it was about helping people gain jobs through technology training, and it was about really helping kids realize high school and college through one on one training and technology programs.

"Our hope is that a lot of people will benefit from this. We've had a great response from the community, We feel that we are part of the community. And this was brought on because the community had a huge demand for our services.

"Our objective is to cement ourselves once again, we've been here 40 years, for the long term and as the economy and the community changes, we'll change along with it, and this gives us the opportunity to be here in perpetuity and continue to grow our programs.

"It will house an adult education center, a children's' education center, a senior education center, and an expansion of our Mother Baby Program. Adjacent to the building will be what we call the Food Bank Farm, which will be a five thousand square foot farm for the adults and children of the center. Phase two will be a remodel of the existing center. The farm, even though a small for a real farm, will produce food and vegetables that will go right into our food assistance program where we do mobile distributions.

"We are ecstatic. What it really is, it is a gift from the community to allow us and to give us what we need to be able to do this. But really it's about the community having confidence in us; delivering quality programs that aren't a reflection of government funding. The community really owns this; they're the ones that step up and donate to our programs. It's just a result of a lot of hard work.

"A real big shout out and thanks to the community for giving us the confidence and support to run and operate really effective and relevant

Check out additional photos>>

Life In The Fast Lane with Scott Pruett

2010-11-08T08:03:30Z

Sacramento, CA | Life In The Fast Lane was California Automobile Museum's (CAM) annual fund raising event.

This year, Scott Pruett was the guest of honor and speaker. Below is a brief photo essay of that event. Keep an eye out for our full article and more photos coming early this week.

This Corvette was just one of several guest appearnce vehicles for
the Life In The Fast Lane evening event.

Guests enjoyed a delicious spread.

Attendees wait in buffet line just before the live auction.

CAM supporters pose for portraits with Maverick Photographer Karl Vostrez.

Supporters enjoyed a spirited live auction.

Scott Pruett waits backstage in a million dollar Ferarri that brought
him out to the stage.

Be sure to keep an eye out for our interview with Scott Pruett, many more photos of the event and some incredible cars.

CAM Photo powered by MaverickPhotography (Maverick photographers: Karl Vostrez, JR Bottoms, Kati Garner, Rusty Kleine, Ed Fogle)

Old Soul meets Rockabilly

2010-10-30T09:39:30Z

Sacramento (Oak Park), CA | What do you get when mix great coffee, food and Rockabilly? Tess & Hip Trash at Old Soul 40 Acres.

It was nearly standing room only, or dancing room only, when you entered Old Soul at 40 Acres Friday night. Now the new coffee house for the new international terminal at Sacramento International Airport, Old Soul hosted "Tess & Hip Trash" Friday night as customers and fans took in the Rockabilly tunes, fine coffee and great eats.

It wasn't long after the first set of music started that toes were tapp'en, heads were bobb'en and feet were danc'en to the tunes and elegant voice of Tessie Marie.

Per the band's web site, "Tessie Marie met her bandmates in prison.... no they weren't doing time, they were playing music for the inmates as part of a blues society project to educate juvenille offenders, real "Jailhouse Rock". Part of this gig was a songwriting contest that had bandleader/guitarist Paris Clayton write and record songs using the young inmates lyrics. One of those songs "Life", is on the new CD. When the group recorded this song Paris was so impressed with Tess's killer vocals that he asked her to record some other songs he had written. And the rest, as they say, is history.

"Blues, Soul, and Roots Rock influenced original tunes and heartfelt covers, all done in a smart, unique, and sometimes humorous style Tess is backed by a group of veteran pros who have played with a long list of legendary artists. Produced and recorded by Paris Clayton,with bassist Allie Marcel,and "Ratatat Pat" Balcom on Drums."

The quartet ended with a rousing second set but the full house at Old Soul begged for more. Tess and company kicked in with an encore set that raised the roof and had most of the attendees on their feet.

Old Soul at 40 Acres regularly hosts local bands on Friday evenings. Be sure to follow their Twitter (@OldSoulCo) to keep informed.

Photos: MaverickPhotography.us | Ed Fogle

CLICK HERE TO SEE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS OF THIS EVENT AT SacMav.com>>

Experience Old Soul 40Acres with our new interactive SacMav360 JUMP INTO OLD SOUL>>

Car cruise and show takes over downtown

2010-08-03T07:15:32Z

Sacramento, CA The CAM Car Cruise and Show snaked through the streets and captivated downtown Sacramento Saturday evening.

Saturday evening, car enthusiats from all over Californina gathered at the California Automomobile Muesuem (CAM) to stage for a downtown cruise and auto show that would cover several streets.

If you were downtown Saturday evening after 5 P.M., you may have seen the very long line of vintage, classic and modern cars that snaked through the streets of downtown, from CAM all the way up to 28th and J. Streets were closed from J over to L, beginning at 22nd and over to 25th. Bands of different genres were playing on each street as folks enjoyed the wide variety of cars on display. "Purgatory" played on 22nd Street, "Mere Mortals" played on the main stage in the K/L alley off of 23rd, "The Resurrection Men" played on 24th Street, "Red Rover" was on K between 24th and 25th and "Road Test" was at 25th and L.

Swing Dancers from "Midtown Stomp" were strutt'en their stuff in the main stage area in the K/L alley, Folsom Cheer Elite were doing their routines and human pyramids in several locations and the all new Mountain Lions Dance Squad was on location.

KCRA3's Walt Gray was on hand to emcee and announce the many awards that were given.

This was the second cruise and show event that CAM has hosted downtown and both have been a raving success. The event is simply a feast for the eyes to any automobile enthusiast. With cars ranging from pre World War II era to present day the event was a menagerie of automotive splendor.

CAM hosts and sponsors many events throughout the year. One specifiecally coming up is the Vettes for Vets car show, co-hosted by "Just For Corvettes" car club, which will take place November 7th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the parking lot next to CAM. CAM also hosts weddings, corperate events and more at the museum.

More photos can be seen of the event in the Maverick Galleries>>

MaverickPhotography.us provided the on site event photography services. Seven Mavericks covered the event from every angle with still photography and video coverage.

Editor's Note: Folsom Cheer Elite was not present at the CAM Car Cruise.

When motorcycles and snowmobiles fly

2010-02-23T07:14:53Z

Some of the world’s top motocross stars took to the air Friday and Saturday in an acrobatic display that kept people on the edge of their seats from start to finish.

The occasion was the Gravity Slashers tour at Arco Arena. Ten riders from around the United States perform tricks that most riders only dream of doing.

The floor of Arco Arena was equiped with four ramps and two landing pads. At one end of the arena was three ramps side-by-side, the middle ramp was wider to accomodate a snowmobile; with an elevated landing pad across from the ramps. A single ramp and landing pad were at the other side of the arena.

The star studded list of riders included:

Both nights began with individual competition. Riders had 60 seconds to execute as many jumps as they could and were judged on the tricks they did while airborne. The riders accelerated rapidly on a short runway and hit the ramp, launching the bike and themselves into the air.

They did midair handstands, flew through the air inverted, and did kick-outs and every trick the mind could conceive.

After the individual runs, the 10 riders rode out and appeared and hit the air in mind boggling back-to-back acrobatic stunts.

As if seeing airborne motorcycle acrobatics weren't enough, there was snowmobile flying upside down through the air and landing on the adjacent ramp. Heath Frisby, better known as “Friz,” was creative, audacious, and never afraid to go huge. He won a bronze medal in the X Games in 2007 at the inaugural Winter X freestyle snowmobile event, and followed that with a bronze in 2008 and 2009.

Friz and flanked by Nick Dunne and Keith Sayers (Evil Knievel's God son), took to the air side by side, with Friz’s snowmobile in the center. The three hit the ramps and flipped through the air inches apart, then hit the landing pad together.

Before Saturday's event, we caught up with Sacramento 98 Rock’s John Boyle on the performance floor with their contest winners. The grand prize winners received a family eight-pack of tickets for the event, a Gravity Slashers motocross jersey and a pre-event meet and greet with a couple of the star riders. The winners spent some quality time with Greg Hartman and Brody Wilson. Boyle stated that the radio station provides “lifestyle promotions,” opportunities that winners never would experience had they not won the contest. He added that Field Motorsports, producer of the Gravity Slashers tour, was great to work with.

The grand finale had motorcycles flying all over the place off all the ramps. When the event ended, the stars hit the concourse to meet the fans and give autographs.

Gravity Slashers' next stop is Moline, Ill., Feb. 26. Feld Motor Sports brings “Monster Jam” to the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Feb. 27.

Maverick Photography had four photographers on site for this event. A full photo essay will be coming in the near future, so keep an eye out for it. PHOTOGRAPHERS: Ed Fogle, Fred Jennings, George Murray and Jeremy Pollard

For local action news alerts, follow us on Twitter @SacMav. Watch for the "LIVE NOW" alert to be advised when we are broadcasting to our live web channel from local action news events. SacMav Rapid Media

Freestyle Supercoss hits ARCO Arena

2010-02-16T08:28:01Z

Freestyle Motocross (FMX) is acrobatics meets NASCAR as riders fly 50 feet in the air on 250 pound motorcycles while performing gravity slashing tricks such as backflips and Hart Attacks!! Gravity Slashers hit ARCO Arena.
Sacramento California
February 16, 2010

Thrills and chills is an understatement when you are referring to the event taking place at ARCO Arena this Friday and Saturday night. The Freestyle Supercross Motorcycle event comes to the arena with some of the hottest superstars in the industry. Per event promoters, the riders will converge at ARCO Arena to battle head-to-head for the top spot on the podium. The regular home of the NBA’s Sacramento Kings will be transformed into a freestyle motocross playground complete with two different jumps, each measuring more than 65 feet in distance! The riders have only 45 feet to build up enough speed before hitting the ramp and propelling themselves close to 50 feet up in the air. And if that isn’t enough of a challenge, the riders will be judged on the execution of acrobatic tricks such as backflips, Hart Attacks, Cliffhangers, Tsunamis and Sterilzers, just to name a few.

You can look forward to seeing Brody Wilson (Templeton, Mass.), Derek Burlew (Cliffwood Beach, N.J.), Drake McElroy (Fernley, Nev.), Dustin Nowak (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.), Greg Hartman (Greencastle, Pa.), Julian Dusseau (Humbolt County, Calif.), Keith Sayers (Butte, Mont.), Nick Dunne (Redding, Calif.), and Rich Kearns (Prospect, Conn.)

I caught up with Greg Hartman today, via phone, as he was taking a stroll on Vinice Beach for a Southern Cali visit en route to Arco Arena. I had the opportunity to get to know a bit about Greg, his love for motorcycles and some of his background, and discovered a great guy.
Greg was born, raised and presently resides in Greencastle, Pensylvania. Greg has been riding motorcycles since he was five years old, in fact, the whole family rides including grandparents, cousins, etc. At the age of eleven, Greg was able to go to nationals and saw Jeremy McGrath in action. From the time Greg saw McGrath, he knew what he wanted to do.

When asked if he had any superstitions or pre-event rituals, he stated “Thank the Lord and pray for protection!” Greg sated that his faith in God is paramount in his life.

Introduced to golf a few years ago, Greg finds himself unwinding on the links and loves it. While he states he’s not a hard core golfer, it’s his favorite pass time and get’s to golf free at his local course.

Greg states that his biggest accomplishment is his gold medal at the 2007 X Games in Dubai: Obviously, this was a hallmark moment for Greg. He’s also won silver. Greg had planned to go to nationals in 2008, but those hopes were dashed when Greg sustained a major injury. As a result of the injury, Greg lost a significant amount of memory and suffered other complications. Though he didn’t remember her during this time, Greg’s wife supported and stuck with him through this challenging time. Greg stated that God and his wife is why he got through it. When Greg’s memory returned some time later, his passion for the sport returned as well. Greg has his sights set on nationals in Los Angeles and presses on with his wife and family’s full support.

Come out Friday and Saturday and cheer on Greg and his rivals as they take to the air in a motorcycle air ballet you’ll not soon forget.

photos provide by Next Level Sports Management

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Old Soul Co. sign goes up

2010-02-13T05:23:28Z

After the sign's installation was halted Thursday, it was permitted to go up Friday afternoon.
OakPark, Sacramento, CA
Friday, February 12, 2010

The sign installation crew was literally about to drill the mounting holes for the new Old Soul Co. sign in Oak Park Thursday morning when a call came in from the city to halt the installation. Due to the building being historical, there was an issue of placement and electrical connections. (see previous article)

Just a little more than twenty four hours later, the installation was approved and the sign was installed around 3 P.M. Friday afternoon, exactly in the spot intended and electrical hooked up to light the sign just as planned.

Old Soul's Grand Opening Reception will take place Saturday evening from 6-10PM.

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Signs of Soul in Oak Park halted

2010-02-11T21:30:00Z

The City of Sacramento halted efforts to mount Old Soul Co. sign Thursday morning.
Oak Park, Sacramento, CA
February 11, 2010

Excited patrons of the new Old Soul Co. location in Oak Park were eager to see the iconic glistening new sign ready to go up Thursday morning and so was the crew. That eagerness was squelched when a call came to the Alpha Signs' crew, from the city, to halt.

The building at 35th and Broadway is a historical building and though the old Starbucks sign was in the same location, the city won't allow the sign installers to drill new holes in the historic bricks nor is the sign allowed to have any exposed electrical cable. Furthermore, the city wants the sign above the horizontal band of bricks which puts the sign at the level of the 2nd floor apartments rather than the store level where the previous Starbucks sign was located.

Patrons are upset at the "unnecessary hoop jumping" the city is imposing. They pointed out that the well crafted and beautiful sign is a welcome sight over the boarded up building across the street at 3501 Broadway and other "eyesores" in the area. Alpha Signs did the much larger and elaborate sign installation at Guild Theater next door without issue a few years ago. A spokesman for Alpha Signs is hopeful that things will be ironed out shortly and is optimistic that they will be able to install the sign sometime next week.

Old Soul Co. Opens New Location in Oak Park

2010-02-05T01:35:05Z

Old Soul Co opened their third Sacramento location Thursday morning in Oak Park.

An old familiar spot has a new face in Oak Park and the community is well pleased. Starbucks shut down its 35th and Broadway location last year, much to the disapointment of many. The location was a community hub where many gathered daily to socialize, conduct business or just relax with a good book and a cup of coffee. Despite many letters from patrons voicing their conerns to Starbucks corporate office of the closure, the doors were finally closed in September of 2009.

Knowing the community cenergy the coffee house brought regular goers better known there as "The Usual Suspects" were confident something good would come of it…the prime location couldn't sit quiet for long.

Thursday morning, with no fanfare, advertisement or forewarning, Old Soul Co opened their doors for business. Location manager Tim Jordan stated they were suprsingly very busy this morning, "you would have thought it was our official grand opening".

While all the furniture is not moved in yet, what furniture and décor that is there shows the location is going to be a wonderful and comfortable spot for "The Usual Suspects" and those who patron the new friend in Oak Park. College students were already enjoying the coffee and space as they cracked their books open to study. One stated, "I've been walking by here every day waiting for them to open".

Owner of "Underground Books", Mayor Kevin Johnson's Mother (known to locals as Mother Rose), said "Thank God this coffee house is open. It's what this community needs."

Not only does Old Soul roast and brew their own smooth coffee, they have a breakfast and sandwich menu as well.

The official open house will be the evening of this month's 2nd Saturday, February 13th from 6 to 9:30 P.M. The management is planning a wonderful event, and even obtaining a special event permit for the evening.

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Sac Auto Show called "Wildly Successful"

2009-11-16T07:44:31Z

"Wildly Successful!" said Stacey Castle, president of Castle Communications and producer for the international show, when I spoke with her moments after the gates closed, in response to what may have been the most successful auto shows in Sacramento history. The weekend-long Sacramento International Automotive Show had something to offer for every level of car enthusiast.

With the auto market climate as it is, the changing economy and a need for good family entertainment, the event's coordinator, Castle Communications set out to make great strides with this year's Sacramento International Automotive Show in spite of odds that seemed to be stacked against them. Though numbers are not yet available, Stacey, indicated that the event was a huge success and far exceeded their expectations. See previous article by Kassandra Perlongo.

With more than 30 manufacturers and cars from vintage to tomorrow, Cal Expo was transformed into one enormous automotive showroom. Said to be second only to the state fair, cars and displays could be found in nearly every nook and cranny of the exposition park. If that’s not enough, goers were able to take their turn behind the wheel on one of three test tracks on the grounds. Wheels screeched and engines roared as attendees slid into the seat of the all new Camaro, while others tried out the new Corvette. Ford brought its line of hybrids to its track and successfully displayed that hybrids do have pep.

Castle rolled out the red carpet for all of its guests. From building to building, all goers had to do was follow the red carpet to the next exhibit hall. If they wanted to hop around, everywhere they turned were large "you are here" signs with a venue directory to easily navigate their way.

For those in the market for a vintage automobile, Castle had that covered as well with the "Classic Car & Rod Sale". One building was filled with some of the finest classics ready for one to sign the line and take home. From horseless carriages, to vintage VW Bugs, Super Sports, Mustangs and more all in cherry condition and ripe for the pick'in for the person with the right price.

Be it RV's, motorcycles, vintage Porsches, small and economical, large and rugged, it was all there. Castle made sure food vendors with reasonable pricing were on site, along with musical entertainment, kids play areas and more to make sure the event catered well to the whole family.

In the final hours Sunday evening, there was still energy and excitement in the air. Now with over 25 years of successful international auto show events under its belt, Sacramento is one of the major venues in the United States for this type of auto show. On their web site, Sac Auto Show states "many of the large manufacturers' displays have been under construction since early this year. The making of auto shows is big business. From the granddaddy of all the American shows, The Detroit Auto Show, to auto shows in much smaller markets – the preparation for putting all the pieces together takes well over a year. "

While this year's show is over, auto enthusiasts have reason to get revved up again. Preparations for next year's show are already scheduled to begin Monday for next year's show. Be sure to fit it into your calendar for next year- if you have a fancy for cars that is.

Capital Airshow gearing up for you

2009-09-11T11:06:41Z

Sacramento, CA- All the hard work throughout the year of the Capital Air Show staff began to show it's fruit today as a myriad of aircraft flew in to Mather Field to participate in the fourth annual Sacramento Capital Air Show.

Out on the tarmac, barriers and safety fences were being put in place, displays began to take form, the sound system that runs the entire length of the flight line was assembled and pilots took to the air to get a feel for the topography of Sacramento.

Tim Baker flies a stunt plane for Geico; he's been passionately flying for them for six to seven years and has done 22 air shows. Not only is Tim the pilot, he is also in charge of the displays. "Geico works me hard", stated Baker, "but I love our relationship."

Dean Wright is the team leader for the Patriots, sponsored by Fry's. Dean retired from the Air Force two years ago. During his tenure with the Air Force he flew such planes as the A-10 Wart Hog, the Stealth and many other high end aircraft. Speaking of their jets, "they don't have the power of the F-16's, but they run like a Timex" stated Wright. Later in the day Thursday, the Patriots gave a training for several Metro Fighters on how to rescue a pilot from a fighter jet and the dangers of working a fighter jet rescue. If a firefighter reached in and accidently pulled the ejection lever, he could be run through with one of four steel rods that are meant to jettison the canopy during in flight ejection.

After the Thunderbirds touched down and got their planes squared away, Mayor Dan Skoglund presented the Thunderbids with a key to the city. The Thunderbirds then presented him with a Thunderbirds framed and autographed poster.

Kirby Nesser is the "Right Wing" pilot for the Thunder Birds. Born in Nebraska, Kirby grew up going through school as a straight A student. He received a congressional appointment to the Air Force Academy where 24 units is a typical semester load. Upon finishing Academy, they asked him what he wanted to do in the Air Force. Kirby said, "I don't know". They said, "how about flying"? Kirby said "Okay". "What would you like to fly" they asked. "I don't know" replied Kirby. They finally narrowed it down to fighter jets. As Kirby excelled as a pilot, he later applied for the Thunderbirds and he has been with them for the past two years." I still don't know what I want to do when I grow up" quipped Kirby with a grin.

Friday, the pilots will go through a full rehearsal, so if you are in the Rancho Cordova area, keep your eyes to the skies for a wonder pre-show.

If you are attending the Capital Air Show, it is VERY strongly recommended that you utilize the transit system to access Mather Field. If you have purchased your tickets already, your transportation is free. Taking the light rail, you will want to detrain at the Mather Station. There, express buses will be waiting to rapidly transport you directly to the gate via an express route. The transportation has been very well thought out and is actually quite easy. As you leave the airfield via your express transportation, you will see the massive grid lock of cars attempting to leave the parking lots, and you will no doubt say…"Wow! Those people should have taken the RT." You will be back to your point of origin before they get out of the parking lot.

You can get all the air show information by visiting http://www.californiacapitalairshow.com/

Don't forget to use sun block and you may want to bring a folding chair. To see interviews with some of the pilots and several of the aircraft practicing CLICK HERE

Downtown car show and cruise sports a good showing

2009-08-03T04:48:57Z

A plethora of sparkling cars bejeweled J Street in downtown Sacramento as a cruising tradition returned.

Scores of classic and snazzy modern cars cruised J street Saturday afternoon, from Midtown to the Sac State University parking lot. The sight was veritable eye candy for any car enthusiast.

The event started in the early afternoon with staging of the cars for show on 18th through 20th streets on either side of J for spectators to meander and appreciate.

The event drew a constituency of folks to the midtown area who normally would not be there on a Saturday afternoon. It became a natural festival setting as attendees shopped and gleaned from side walk sales, giving local businesses a welcome boost for the weekend.

See Zach Englund's article for history and details on CAMBER

WalMart Super Center opens in South Sacramento

2009-06-17T23:27:08Z

A good crowd of South Sacramento customers made it out early this morning for the grand opening festivities at their new Florin Road Walmart Supercenter.

The new Supercenter is located in the new Florin Town Center, which was recently developed after the old Florin Mall was torn down.

Store Manager Jason Craig, flanked by his management team, delivered a message of gratitude to his family, coworkers and customers.

"People Reaching Out" was given a $50,000 check at the grand opening, for their "Fresh Start Program."

County Supervisor Jimmie Yee also made an appearance acknowledging Walmart and the staff for bringing 600 jobs to South Sacramento, "300 of which are new," said Yee.

Walmart officials were proud of the progress they have made from the old model stores in making this store far more energy efficient. The locally manufactured skylights alone reduce energy usage by 75 percent. Other natural resources are in place to help cool the facility.

"You can get lost in this store," said Mary DeCoe. She was the first in line at 3 a.m. to get in the store; the next person got in line at 5 a.m. Mary was the first customer in the store, and she made her way right to the register and purchased a candy bar so she could be the first to check out and obtain the first receipt.

The new store brings a new hair solon, vision center, restaurant, Golden One Credit Union, a large Customer Service Center and a dedicated Money Center to handle all the check cashing, MoneyGrams and money orders.

This Supercenter will not be open 24 hours, but will be open from 6 a.m. to midnight daily.

Local Corvette clubs start busy weekend at the Fountains

2009-06-06T06:18:47Z

Sacramento Corvette owners started off a very busy weekend with a relaxing evening at The Fountains Shopping Mall in Roseville.

Throughout the summer, this beautiful venue will host an outdoor shopping fair, the first Friday evening of each month. If you are a Corvette enthusiast, you won't want to miss this as the Corvettes will be on display at each event. Guys, this one time that you really really want to take your wife shopping. Now, when you say "that's ok honey, go ahead and take your time shopping; I'll wait out here"; try to say it with a degree of sincerity so she doesn't catch on to your plans (although I think may already have a clue when you pull into the mall).

Corvette owners continue their event filled weekend Saturday with a Class 1 car show better known as "Vette Magic". Hosted by the Northern California Corvette Association, this year marks the 34th anniversary of this event which Corvette owners come from all over to participate in.

Vette Magic will take place at the Marriott located at 11211 Point East Dr, Rancho Cordova and the order of events is as follows:

Registration 8:00am - 11:00am
Judging & Tallying 11:00am - 3:30pm
Awards 3:30pm - 4:00pm
B-B-Q Dinner Poolside TBA

The weekend culminates Sunday when Corvettes grudge it out on the race track. Watching these beautiful cars blaze down the 1/4 mile strip is a great event to take the whole family to. The Corvette owners have a lot of fun as well as the spectators.

You can find the Corvettes burning rubber at the Sacramento Raceway Park, 5305 Excelsior Rd., Sacramento off of Jackson Highway. The order of events for the day are as follows:

REG. & TECH CLOSES 11:30am
DIAL-IN RUNS START 10:00am
ELIMINATIONS START 1:00pm

If you are a local Corvette owner, you want to check out two of the hottest local Corvette clubs for ongoing events throughout the year: Just For Corvettes and California Corvette Club. These are two great clubs with wonderful people to socialize with. You will also get to participate in events with your Corvette that you would normally not have access to.

So, if you are just a Corvette fan or an owner; there is plenty to keep you busy this weekend. For the owners, enjoy events throughout the year that will make a great addition to your social calendar.

DOWNLOAD "VETTE MAGIC" FLYER

Governor Schwarzenegger's Continued Commitment To Fuel-Efficient And Alternative-Fuel Vehicles

2009-06-04T03:55:30Z

No one availble for story research. See info at Governors site.

The "Journey" was on at Raley Field

2009-05-24T07:35:43Z

"Journey" headlined this packed house fundraising event at Raley Field Saturday night, all for the kids. The event was a fundraiser called "Walk 'N Rock For Kids". Guests enjoyed a gourmet meal on the ball field, an auction and an incredible concert.

Hosted by Art Savage, of Raley Field, the event began with an early VIP access and dinner. Tables were set for the VIP's at the front of the stage and a full gourmet dinner was served.

The dinner was prepared by several of the areas celebrity chefs. Coordinating the gourmet dinner was Peg Poswall. The VIP Reception was prepared by Ryan Curray, Centerplate and Julian Vasquez, Delta King's Pilothouse Restaurant. The first course was prepared by Wendi Mentink, Bidwell Street Bistro and Michael Tuohy, Grange Restaurant. Main course was prepared by Dani Luzzatti, Bella Lu Catering and Matt Woolston, The Supper Club and Matteo's. The dessert course was prepared by Karen Holmes, Karen's Bakery Café & Catering and Kurt Spataro, Paragary Restaurant Group.

After the gourmet dinner, a spirited benefit auction ensued. The proceeds benefited the Hope Productions Foundation. Their non-profit partners are: Boys & Girls Clubs, CASA, Keaton Raphael Memorial, OKIZU, People Reaching Out, River Cats Foundation and WIND.

The opening act was a young band known as "the Lost Boys". They delivered a great opening performance with a well engaged crowed. When they left the stage they were headed to Konockti Harbor in Lake County for their next gig.

The stadium erupted as Journey took the stage. They began playing at 8:35 p.m. and went till approximately 10:30 p.m. The audience was regaled with a great mix of both the old and new hits.

Will the waterways and pools bring tragedy into your life this holiday weekend?

2009-05-23T07:30:23Z

"Drownings in Sacramento have become a problem. They occur way too much and it is very frustrating for us, because it seems like there is not much more we can do to help prevent them" said Capt. Doucette, Public Information Officer for the Sacramento Fire Department in an article a few weeks ago. see article

"More than one in four fatal drowning victims are children 14 and younger. For every child who dies from drowning, another four received emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries" says the Center for Disease Control and Prevention CDCR Site

For myself, as a former lifeguard, paramedic and firefighter, nothing challenges your professionalism more than getting the call across the radio for a child related drowning; while in route the dispatcher updates you stating "be advised, CPR is in progress". While you see so much and most 911 responses you handle as routine, your heart beats a little faster for these calls, especially if you yourself are a parent.

Depending on the body of water, even a few inches of water can be surprisingly dangerous.

Sacramento Fire Department is just one agency that has partnered with Cal Boating and CSUS Aquatic Center to bring local boaters and waterway recreation enthusiasts a lifesaving program by making life jackets available on loan to children and adults.

"The Department has supplied each location with life jackets for children and adults. An individual or family can check out life jackets for a day or a weekend simply by completing a loan form. Look for the sign, 'Life Jacket Loan Station,' at participating locations" says Cal Boating.

In a press release today, Capt. Doucette, Public Information Officer for the Sacramento Fire Department issued this reminder: "The Sacramento Fire Department is reminding you that this holiday weekend our beaches and waterways will be very busy. It is extremely important that a responsible adult take the responsibility and supervise all children who are in or near the water. It is also the law that all persons under the age of 13 must wear a properly fitting life jacket while in our natural water ways."

The following local fire stations have "Life Jacket Loan Stations":

El Dorado Hills Fire Dept.
Station 84 2180 Francisco Dr.

Folsom City Fire Dept.
Station 35 535 Glenn Dr.

Roseville Fire Dept.
Station 1 401 Oak St, Ste 402

Sacramento Fire Dept.
Station 5 731 Broadway
Station 8 5990 H Street
Station 11 785 Florin Rd.
Station 15 1591 Newborough Dr.
Station 60 3301 Julliard Dr.

Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District
Station 31 7950 California Ave.
Station 59 7210 Murieta Dr.
Station 61 10595 Folsom Blvd
Station 63 12395 Folsom Blvd.
Station 65 11201 Coloma Rd.
Station 110 1432 Eastern Ave.

See the Cal Boating web page for more information on this program

Steamer Puffs Through Sacramento

2009-04-20T18:32:12Z

If you heard a "chug chug" and a different sounding train whistle through Sacramento this morning, you were most likely hearing Union Pacifics UP844 passing through in route to Oakland. We caught up with UP844 passing over the I street bridge coming into West Sacramento.

Within the past hour, UP844 has passed through Benicia where the train was greeted by large crowds and signs as well as being paced by a news chopper through Emeryville. If you missed this historical steamer, you will have a chance to catch it again as it comes back through in the next few days. See schedule below or go to www. up.com and search UP844.

UP844 Heritage Tour Schedule, California
• Monday, April 20
o Depart Roseville- 8am
o Arrive Oakland- 11am

• Tuesday, April 21
o Layover and Public Display at Oakland, Cal-UP Yard- 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Wednesday, April 22
o Depart Oakland- 9am
o Arrive Stockton- 11am
o Public Display, Stockton, Cal—Ace Station, 949 E. Channel St.

• Thursday, April 23
o Layover and Public Display- 8am to 5pm

• Friday, April 24
o Depart Stockton- 8am
o Arrive Roseville- 11am

• Saturday, April 25 to Wednesday April 29
o Roseville Layover and Public Display- 10am to 5pm
500 W. Atlantic St.

• Thursday, April 30
o Depart Roseville- 8am
o Arrive Orville- 11am

• Friday, May 1
o Oroville Layover at Mitchell Ave Crossing and UP Tracks

• Saturday, May 2
o Depart Oroville- 8am
o Arrive Keddie- 11:30am / Depart 12:30pm
o Arrive Portola- 3pm

• Sunday, May 3
o Layover and Public Display- 8am to 5pm

Historical Train Comes Through Sacramento

2009-04-20T07:49:18Z

At 8 a.m. today, the historic Union Pacific steam locomotive 844 will move through Sacramento in route to Oakland where it will be on display.

The Steamer has been in Roseville at the UP Yard for the past couple of days. Saturday, UP844, along with other UP locomotive memorables were on display for general public and Sunday they were held for a private showing accessed only by UP friends and family. If you are looking for good photo ops to catch old UP844 puffing down the tracks, it will roll out of Roseville and will be highly visible through the wetlands near CalExpo, You should also be able to see the puffer rolling through the downtown Amtrak station and over the "I Street" bridge.

If you miss it's robust whistle and chugs this morning, never fear because you will have another opportunity in a few days as she works her way back up through Stockton, Roseville and Oroville. A schedule has been provided below and the locomotives pictured will be accompanying UP844. You can read all about 844 by CLICKING HERE. Over the next few days you will be able to find the locomotives on display and open to the public in Oakland, Stockton, Roseville and Oroville.